


we're so close yet so far apart

by comebackbehere



Series: Will You Teach Me How To Fly [2]
Category: Descendants (2015)
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-29
Updated: 2018-06-20
Packaged: 2018-12-08 07:26:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 33,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11641791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/comebackbehere/pseuds/comebackbehere
Summary: Mal feels like everything is happening too fast, and Evie thinks everything is perfect. Somehow the space between them is filled with miscommunications.AKA Descendants 2 Malvie style...but darker.





	1. i'm going through withdrawals

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Here is the sequel to Will You Teach Me How To Fly...hope y'all enjoy it(:

Mal feels like she’s suffocating.

 

Every event, every party, every dress is just all too much. A heavy breath leaves her as her eyes droop tiredly, all she wants is a bed and longer than six hours of sleep. Being with Evie is everything she has ever wanted, but being looked to as an equal to the king’s sister still leaves her occasionally breathless. All the attention and media makes her stomach crawl, it’s like everything she does is put under a microscope for the entire land to decide whether or not it’s good enough. Mal just wishes she could hit pause and enjoy a few moments alone with her girlfriend, she wishes that everything around them would just disappear. She just wants a second to go back to how everything was.

 

“So, how was dinner with Aladdin and Jasmine?”

 

Mal jumps as she looks up from her homework to see Lonnie beaming at her, “It was fine. Evie was really excited about going, and Jasmine asked if she’d make her dress for Ben’s cotillion. I think she’s designing nearly every royal gown.”

 

“It must be so nice,” Lonnie sighs with a faraway expression. “Dinner with royals every weekend? Parties and ball gowns? I can’t even imagine. You must love it.”

 

“You’re more than welcome to take my place.” Mal scoffs, and she is quick to school her expression when Lonnie looks to her in confusion. “I’m exhausted and we have a brunch thing with Jay’s parents tomorrow…”

 

Lonnie nods in understanding, “You should probably get used to these things, Mal. You’re only days away from being sworn onto the court.”

 

“What?” Mal scoffs.

 

“Obviously you’re going to become a lady of the court. You had to have known that.” Lonnie giggles with a roll of her eyes. “I mean, I don’t see the two of you breaking up...ever.”

 

Mal feels like she’s going to be sick; the idea of being on the court, of having that kind of responsibility, makes her want to cry. Her grasp on her pen tightens as she looks to the TV in their dorm room and watches the muted news station play a clip of her helping Evie out of a limo. The smile on her face looks so strained, and she can see the moment she simmers and that’s only when Evie has a protective arm wrapped around her waist. Mal wonders if anyone else can see it, she wonders if there are other people who notice how uncomfortable she is with the attention she receives. She wishes there was a way to hit rewind, she wishes she could go back to when things were so much easier; she just wishes there was a way to taste freedom one last time.

 

“Mal?” Lonnie calls.

 

Mal blinks and looks to her, “Huh?”

 

“I hope I didn’t say something to upset you…”

 

“No, you’re fine.” Mal assures her as she waves off the worried expression Lonnie wears. “I just have a lot going on in my head, it’s not you.”

 

“Well, if any of those thoughts have to do with what you’re wearing to lunch with Jay’s family then I think you should consider your sleeveless dress.” Lonnie chirps as she stands to gather her book. “I have to go, I’m meeting up with Hayden to study.”

 

Mal simply nods and Lonnie leaves with a quick wave before she slips from the room. As soon as she is alone, Mal glares at the TV as she stares at her own smiling face. Everything she has done over the last two months has been in an attempt to make Evie happy, but Mal knows her own happiness has been spared unintentionally. Although Ben has been crowned, and Audrey is in line to be his queen, a lot of the focus has been on Mal; she thinks they’re waiting for her to slip up, and she’s truthfully waiting for the same thing. It’s only a matter of time, and she isn’t sure she wants to stick around to make it happen; with a sigh, she glances to the window and thinks about home. She thinks about the Isle often, and she wonders if maybe it’s time to go back; maybe it’s time to just accept that she doesn’t belong here. She has no right to be with Evie, she has no right to any of the spots on the court; with those thoughts, Mal drifts off into a restless sleep where she dreams of poisoned apples and Evie reaching desperately for her as she escapes.

 

-

 

Evie still steals the breath out of her, she still makes the butterflies swarm when Mal sees her smile, she still makes her heart flip flop whenever she giggles, and she still lights up her world but it’s...different. All of it. All of them. A year in Auradon has blurred together, and Mal feels like she has simply floated through all of it. She feels like her and Evie haven’t had a chance to genuinely _look_ at each other over the last two months, and she’s tired of it. She misses nights when they would lay in Mal’s bed with a bad movie and chocolate, she misses kissing Evie against the warm bricks of the hallways in between classes, she misses the feel of silky skin beneath her hands as they snuck away to spend a few hours alone, she just misses parts of her relationship that has faded to background noise; everything in her life revolves around royals now.

 

“Babe?”

 

Mal sighs as she glances up from her spellbook and sees Evie in the doorway with a hand playfully laid over her eyes, “What are you doing?”

 

“I didn’t exactly knock.” Evie points out as she peeks between her fingers and gives a huff. “I was hoping you wouldn’t be so decent.”

 

“Ah. Well, you missed your free show.” Mal smirks as she closes the book before Evie drops her hand and furrows her brow. “Why are you looking at me like that? Do I have something in my teeth? Or am I just so stunning that you can’t help but stare?”

 

“You’re very stunning.” Evie grins, and Mal can’t help but subtly soften at her girlfriend’s expression. “But you’re not dressed for Jay’s and I have a car waiting for us outside.”

 

Mal twists her lips into a scowl, “I’m not up for it today.”

 

“We’ve been planning this for weeks, Mal. I’ve already given Jay our RSVP and his parents are expecting us.” Evie reminds her in a gentle tone, but Mal simply shakes her head. “Are you feeling okay? Do you want me to take you to the nurse?”

 

“Just because I don’t want to go somewhere doesn’t mean that I’m sick.” Mal snaps as she pushes herself off the bed. “I just don’t want to go. I’m _tired_. I have a test this afternoon and I need to study. There’s a million reasons why I don’t want to go, but you should just get over it and not assume that I’m _sick_.”

 

Evie hesitates, “Okay.”

 

“Seriously?” Mal sneers as she shoots a look to her girlfriend, and Evie simply nods and folds her hands behind her back. “Don’t just _stand_ there! Fight back! Tell me what to do!”

 

“Why would I do that?” Evie frowns as her expression saddens. “Mal, I’m not going to _order_ you around. You’re my girlfriend not my show pony, if you don’t want to go then I won’t force it on you. I understand.”

 

“But what are you without your precious arm candy? What will the media think?” Mal gasps, and her tone is coated with sarcasm as she regards Evie. “I guess everyone will just assume you’re with Chad again, and you’re little fling with the villain girl is finally over now that you’ve come to your senses and…”

 

“Stop.”

 

The way Evie says the word chips away at the bitterness that coats Mal, and she finally pauses to digest her own words. She regrets them, but she refuses to admit it. She has spent the last two months holding onto them, swallowing them down, and it feels good to finally let them out. Yet one look at Evie makes the guilt ball in her stomach and roll free, the last thing she wants is to cause her girlfriend any pain. Evie is her entire world, but she feels like she’s unintentionally letting it all slip through her fingers; she feels like it’s only a matter of time before Evie finally opens her eyes and realizes that Mal has no place at her side. Part of her, the dark parts that she tries to keep buried inside, claws at her chest in an effort to free itself and wrap itself around Evie; she just wants someone else to feel her pain.

 

“I’m going to go ahead and go.” Evie whispers as she slowly approaches Mal and hangs her head slightly in a silent invitation. “I’ll text you when I get back on campus, okay?”

 

Mal nods slowly as she arches her head up to press a soft kiss to Evie’s lips, “I’m sorry…”

 

“Don’t.” Evie orders as she draws away and takes a small step back and fiddles with her bracelet. “ _I’m_ sorry for not asking you before I make plans for us, and I’m sorry that I haven’t realized how tired you are. I’ll do better, okay? I promise.”

 

“Princess, it’s not you.” Mal assures her, and she kicks herself when she sees the doubt that appears on Evie’s face. “I’m just stressed. Don’t take it personal.”

 

“All the same, I’ll ask you before I agree to things. Once the cotillion is over we can finally go back to how things were.” Evie sighs as she runs a hesitant hand along Mal’s arm. “I know it seems never ending but the madness _will_ end.”

 

Mal nods as Evie slips away from her, “Have fun.”

 

Evie pauses in the doorway and looks back at her with a soft smile, “I love you, Mal. I hope you know that.”

 

“I do. I love you, too.” Mal whispers.

 

And Mal means it. God knows she really does, but she isn’t sure it’s enough anymore.

 

-

 

“You are so beautiful.”

 

Mal smiles as she curls a hand through Evie’s hair and guides her into a soft kiss, “You’ve been saying that for the last hour.”

 

“Mm, can you blame me?” Evie hums against her lips as her warm hand glides over the smooth plane of Mal’s bare stomach. “I can’t even begin to explain how much I missed this. I’ve missed touching you, kissing you, being alone with you.”

 

“The feeling is mutual, princess.” Mal assures her with a soft laugh. “It’s nice to have you to myself for a few hours.”

 

Evie doesn’t answer, she instead captures Mal’s lips and sweeps her away. With ease, Mal rolls their positions and straddles Evie’s hips before her fingers curl around her girlfriend’s wrists as she presses them against the mattress. Earlier in the afternoon, Evie had caught her in the hallway and dragged her away into her empty dorm room. For the last two and a half hours, Mal has ran her lips over every inch of Evie’s body and for once everything feels normal again. As her lips trail down the length of Evie’s neck in search of a thundering pulse, everything disappears and all that matters is the way Evie fills the room with her moans and how her hips arch deliciously into her girlfriend’s as she searches for any type of relief.

 

“That’s it,” Mal hums as she drags her smile along Evie’s shoulder before a thrill rips through as she is met with a raspy moan. “That’s it, baby. Tell me what you want me to do.”

 

Evie whimpers as she turns her head, “Make me a sandwich…”

 

Mal pauses and lifts her head to watch as Evie scrunches her nose and giggles softly, “Oh, you think you’re being cute?”

 

“I’m adorable.” Evie breathes out.

 

“Mm, that is very true.” Mal nods as she pulls away and drops her weight onto Evie’s hips. “But I don’t like being teased, Evelyn.”

 

“Mal, no.” Evie whines as she struggles against the grip her girlfriend has on her wrists. “Don’t pout. Come on, I was only joking.”

 

“You’re in timeout.” Mal declares with a huff.

 

Evie arches an eyebrow challengingly and bucks her hips, and Mal bites down on her tongue to swallow down her moan. She tries to fight it, tries to ignore the way Evie playfully moans as she tilts her head back to spill blue locks along the white bedsheets, but she can’t help but watch with parted lips and blown pupils. Her girlfriend is beautiful, and moments like these remind her how lucky she is; she has the world’s most stunning woman in her life, and she’ll be damned before she ever let’s her go. With a soft sigh of adoration, Mal leans down to capture soft lips with her own and she pours her admittance of defeat into the kiss. After a moment, her fingers loosen around Evie’s wrist and she squeaks in surprise as gentle arms cradle her before her entire world is shaken up as she finds herself pinned safely to the bed.

 

“I win.” Evie chirps. “You can’t tell me no.”

 

“Yeah, yeah.” Mal grumbles.

 

“It’s because you love me.” Evie teases as she ducks her head to knock their noses together. “Isn’t that right?”

 

“Very.” Mal pouts.

 

“Aw, babe.” Evie laughs. “Stop.”

 

Mal shakes her head, “Nope. You’re being mean.”

 

“What? I am not being mean!” Evie protests with a look of disbelief, and Mal shrugs in response as she turns her head away. “You know what, I can always make you forgive me.”

 

“And how do you plan to do _that_?” Mal snorts.

 

Evie bounces her shoulders as her hand slides along Mal’s stomach and beneath the sheets, “I think I can come up with a few different ways.”

 

“Naughty, naughty.” Mal scolds, but her amusement quickly dies away as she hears Evie’s phone chime loudly on the nearby bedside table. “Please ignore that. I’m begging you.”

 

“I was planning to.” Evie giggles, and Mal swells with love at the confession. “I have you to myself and I don’t intend for that to be interrupted by phone calls or texts.”

 

Mal sighs happily and twines her fingers through Evie’s hair before she guides her into a demanding kisses. For a little while it’s nice but the phone doesn’t stop. As soon as the calls cease, the texts begin and Mal can feel the annoyance boiling in her and she can tell Evie shares the same sentiment as her hand rests loosely on her thigh and tightens with every chime. After yet another row of incoming texts, Mal gives up with a hiss and reaches for the phone before she taps the home screen and rolls her eyes at the many text messages and missed calls from Belle, Adam, and Ben. Another sigh leaves her, but this one is painted with displeasure as she turns the phone to face her girlfriend who pouts and accepts it as she rolls off Mal and quickly types out a quick reply to her brother.

 

“We have guests arriving from Neverland, my parents signed me out for the evening.” Evie mumbles as she focuses on her phone. “I guess Ben has been waiting for me in the car for fifteen minutes. I have to go.”

 

Mal arches an eyebrow, “I figured.”

 

“I can just say no…”

 

“No. Don’t.” Mal sighs, and Evie simply ducks her head sadly. “It was nice to get some time alone with you, I shouldn’t be so selfish. Go be with your family, and I’ll see you when you get back.”

 

“I’m so sorry, love.” Evie frowns as she sits up in the large bed, and Mal props herself on her elbow and runs her eyes over a bare back. “I promise I’ll be back in a few hours, okay?”

 

Mal forces a smile, “Okay.”

 

Evie dresses and leaves after a quick kiss; Mal doesn’t bother holding her girlfriend to her assurances of returning, and Evie never comes back to the room.

 

-

 

Mal paces throughout the hallway and tries to convince herself that this is a good idea; her heart says it is, it screams loudly, but there’s a larger part of her that tells her to just _stay_. But Mal is too stubborn to listen to that part of herself. So, with a slow nod, she taps on the dorm room door and tenses slightly as Jay swings it open a few moments later. The pair stand and stare at each other for a long, silent minute; they aren’t the closest in their little group, but they do have a strong understanding and that’s why Mal has come to him. Jay will understand, he won’t like what she’s about to do but at least he’ll understand. Jay arches an eyebrow as he watches her for another moment before he steps out of the doorway, and Mal slinks into the room with her head dropped and her fingers idly playing with the silver band around her finger.

 

“You okay?” Jay asks as he throws himself onto his bed.

 

Mal bites her lip and shakes her head, “No.”

 

“Talk to me.” Jay orders in a soft tone, and Mal simply looks away and ducks her head. “Mal, is it Evie? Are you guys okay?”

 

“She’s perfect, she’s happy.” Mal scoffs, and the words come out trapped in a sob that escapes much to her dismay. “And _we’re_ supposed to be happy, but I’m not. I’m...overwhelmed. I’m tired. I can’t _breathe_. I don’t want to be here anymore.”

 

Jay sits up slowly with a scowl, “What do you mean?”

 

Mal quickly swipes at a fallen tear and smiles ruefully at Jay, “You know exactly what I mean. That’s why I came here.”

 

“The Isle?” Jay demands. “You want to go back?”

 

“Yeah.” Mal nods. “I _am_ going back.”

 

“You can’t leave.” Jay scoffs. “What about Evie?”

 

“She deserves better, you and I both know that. She deserves someone who can keep up with that part of your life. Whether you want to acknowledge it or not, I’ll always be a girl from the Isle. I don’t belong here, Jay.” Mal points out. “She is a princess who deserves a…”

 

“Don’t.” Jay cuts in. “If you’re going to do this then don’t be a coward, don’t try to say you’re doing this because she deserves better. Just admit it, admit you’re scared. You’re running away because you’re terrified of everything.”

 

“Can you blame me?” Mal sneers. “I’m Maleficent’s daughter. I’m _evil_. I came here because Ben wanted to give me a second chance, but I also came here against my will. This wasn’t _my_ dream, this was Ben’s. I tried. I really tried, but I just can’t anymore. As much as I love Evie, I can’t act like this is something I want anymore. I want her, but I don’t want to be someone I’m not.”

 

Jay shakes his head angrily, “Why are you telling _me_ this?”

 

“Because as pissed as you are, you won’t try and stop me.” Mal shrugs as she forces a watery smile onto her face. “And I came to ask you to take care of her, she’s going to need you. Carlos too. Just keep an eye on them, okay? If you need me, I’ll come back in a heartbeat.”

 

“You’re a coward, Mal.” Jay hisses.

 

Mal gives a sheepish nod and backs away to the door, “I am. Goodbye, Jay.”

 

As soon as Mal is gone, Jay jumps up from his bed and rushes to find Ben.

 

-

 

_“Are you okay?”_

 

_Evie blinks her eyes open slowly, “Hm?”_

 

_“I asked if you were okay,” Mal chuckles as she props her head in her hand and looks down at her girlfriend. “You’ve been suspiciously quiet over the last few days.”_

 

_“Just been doing a lot of thinking.” Evie admits as tilts her head back further so she can stare up at the starry sky. “Ben has officially been sworn in, and our dad is having him fitted for his crown this weekend which means that Monday is when the tour of the lands begin.”_

 

_“Tour of the lands?” Mal repeats._

 

_“Yeah, Ben and I will travel with our parents to introduce Ben as the king. Audrey is going as well, it’s important for her to go because Ben plans to have her sworn onto the court.” Evie sighs. “You’re meant to come along too.”_

 

_“Whoa, whoa!” Mal scoffs as her eyes widen. “You want to take me on this tour? Are you crazy? Half of those people hate me...well, probably more than half. No. No way. It will go over horribly.”_

 

_Evie laughs softly, “Mal, I was going to propose the idea to you but it’s up to you whether or not you go. I won’t force you too, and I know you’ve only just got comfortable here.”_

 

_“You wouldn’t care if I didn’t go?”_

 

_Evie hums as she settles back against the stack of pillows, “Not caring is a stretch. It’s more so that I don’t ever want you to feel like you have to do something, y’know? I want you to feel like every decision you make is that of your own.”_

 

_“I’ll go.” Mal shrugs._

 

_“Babe, you don’t…”_

 

_“Would it make you happy if I went?” Mal asks, and Evie’s silence is the only answer she needs. “I want to go, princess. I...this is something I want. So, room for one more?”_

 

_Evie rolls onto her and Mal laughs loudly as lips dance along her face, “I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you so much.”_

 

_“Alright, alright!” Mal squeaks as she cradles Evie’s face and pulls back so she can lock their gazes. “I love you, too. Forever.”_

 

_“Forever and a day.” Evie whispers. “And as soon as all this touring is over, I’m going to take you far away from here.”_

 

_“How far are we talking?” Mal asks._

 

_“We’re going to go somewhere that no one can find, somewhere that we don’t have to worry about anyone paying attention to us.” Evie grins. “We’ll go somewhere quiet, but somewhere with a lot of culture. Somewhere that I can hold your hand, kiss you, and just have you to myself.”_

 

_Mal breathes out softly, “That sounds nice.”_

 

_“Just two months.” Evie nods as she holds her hand up, and Mal is quick to intertwine their fingers. “After that, you and me.”_

 

_“You and me.” Mal whispers._

 

Mal bursts through the barrier and feels _safe._ She clings to the memories that play in her head, she holds onto the good parts of the last year. She doesn’t want to leave her friends behind, but she can’t stay here. The Isle is where she belongs, it’s where she is meant to be. Her stolen scooter skids along the wet cobblestones as she crashes back home, and she grunts at the impact. As soon as she is safely tucked away from prying eyes, she turns off scooter and tosses it aside before she pulls her helmet off and shakes out her purple locks; for the first time in a long time, she feels _evil_. She feels bad. She feels like she is exactly where she deserves to be, stuck here with all the low lives and nobodies; back with people who are just like her.

 

Mal smirks as she looks around, “I’m back.”

 

_-_

 

“What am I supposed to say?” Ben demands.

 

Jay shrugs helplessly as he follows his friend towards Evie and Audrey’s room, “I have no idea, dude. Just...be nice. I know you’re like barely holding in your beast mode or whatever, but Evie doesn’t need you freaking out.”

 

“I’m about to break my little sister’s heart.” Ben growls. “I will never forgive Mal for this. How could she do this to Evie?”

 

Jay slams a hand against Ben’s chest to stop him as he looks to him with sad eyes, “Look, if you go in there and start some attack on Mal then Evie is going to shut down. If there’s two things that she’ll protect, it’s her family and Mal.”

 

“I just don’t know what to say.” Ben admits. “Mal makes her so happy, the happiest I have ever seen her and I’m about to ruin that. I never want to see her upset, Jay.”

 

“I know, dude. Believe me, I get it.” Jay assures him with a small nod. “But this is Evie, and she deserves to hear this from us.”

 

Ben gives in after a moment before he moves to tap on Evie’s door until she gives the okay and he slowly pokes his head in. Ben stands there and watches her, and remembers a time when it was just the two of them; he remembers them running through the gardens, harassing staff members, and sneaking fresh baked cookies. He wonders how all of that changed, he wonders when it all slipped away. Now, he’s a king and Evie is taking the fashion world by storm with each dress she makes; and every single day they get a little further apart. A pain radiates through him as he sees the picture on Evie’s bedside table, it’s a simple candid of her and Mal from a party but he can see the clear love and devotion written all over his sister’s face; he doesn’t know if he can do it, he doesn’t know if he can break her with his confession

 

“Hey, I don’t have time to talk.” Evie sighs as she looks away from her mannequin to see her brother and best friend lingering in the doorway. “I have about a million dresses to make and only a few days to accomplish it.”

 

Ben steps forward slowly, “Evie…”

 

“Wow.” Evie breathes out as she steps back to admire her work on the pink gown. “Aurora is going to look stunning in this. It’s...impeccable. I need to text her and schedule a fitting because Jasmine has me booked solid all afternoon next Tuesday. Oh no, I forgot to ask her about Aladdin’s…”

 

“Mal went back to the Isle!”

 

Everything seems to happen in slow motion as Ben  watches Evie digest Jay’s words, he can see the way they finally take and her hands shake as her phone slips from her grasp and hits the floor. If his heart was aching before he’s pretty sure it’s broken now because seeing his sister looking so betrayed makes the pain intensify. Evie swallows hard as she fumbles back towards her bed and she lands on the comfortable surface with a breath of disbelief. Ben and Jay exchange a quick glance as they move towards her and Ben drops beside her to curl a protective arm around her shoulders while Jay squats in front of her and gives her knee a supportive squeeze.

 

“H-How? When? _Why_?” Evie whimpers.

 

Jay frowns as his brow furrows, “She came to see me about an hour ago and told me what she was planning to do.”

 

“And you didn’t stop her?” Evie exclaims.

 

“Her plans had already been made, Eves. There was no stopping her.” Jay sighs as he looks nervously to Ben. “I guess...well, she mentioned that she doesn’t belong here and that she’s overwhelmed by all of her duties.”

 

“Duties?” Evie repeats.

 

“She’s dating a princess, and she’s been doing this tour with you...it’s a lot.” Jay points out as he gives her knee another squeeze. “But that doesn’t give her an excuse for just bailing like a coward. She should’ve come and talked to you.”

 

“She isn’t a coward, she’s scared.” Evie snaps as she flashes Jay a slight glare. “You’re right, she’s been doing a lot lately and it must be terrifying knowing that everyone is watching your every move. I’m just so used to it, and it didn’t occur to me that Mal wasn’t.”

 

Ben sighs as he pulls Evie close, “She’ll come back.”

 

Evie blinks away her tears as she looks up at brother, “What if she doesn’t want to? What if I’m not enough to make her want to come back?”

 

“I…” Ben falters as he looks to Jay who wears the same helpless expression. “Maybe she just needs some time to work things out, and then she’ll realize what she’s missing.”

 

“We have to go get her.” Evie whispers as she ignores Ben’s words. “I have to go talk to her, and we have to work this out.”

 

Ben hesitates, “Eves, I don’t think…”

 

“If it was Audrey you’d do the same thing.” Evie cuts in as she stands and smooths her hands over the front of her dress. “Text everyone to meet us here, we need to come up with a plan.”

 

Ben simply nods and turns away while Evie crosses the room to look out the window. It seems a million miles away, but Evie can make out the familiar shape of the cloud ridden Isle. She wonders if Mal is okay, if she’s found a safe place to lay low at; she can only assume that she’s at her hideout, Mal has gushed about it a quarter of a billion times. But the idea of her girlfriend alone, the idea of Mal falling back into her old habits, terrifies her. The only thing she can think about is getting her back, she has to whatever she can to bring her home.

 

Evie presses her fingertips to the glass and closes her eyes, “I’m coming, Mal.”

 

-

 

“Well, the smell in here definitely hasn’t changed.”

 

Uma tenses at the voice, “You’ve gotta be kidding me.”

 

Across the room, Mal stands in the doorway of the rundown restaurant and childishly pouts as Uma completely ignores her in favor of crashing into the kitchen. Mal can feel every pair of eyes on her and she is quick to flash them a look, and she makes sure that her orbs glow as she snarls. With a thrill of satisfaction, Mal looks around the dirty place and scrunches her nose as she remembers plotting in here; there was a time when Carlos and herself actually had more than each other. There was a time when Uma was her right hand, but that had quickly changed as the girls had gotten older. As the boredom grows, Mal smirks as Uma crashes back onto the floor and falters as she sees Mal nearby before she grits her teeth and shakes her head.

 

“Well, look at this,” Uma hums as she drops a tray of fish sticks in front of a half drunk conman. “To what do we owe the pleasure? Your precious blueberry princess finally realize what a mess you are and kick you to the curb?”

 

Mal flexes her jaw, “Don’t talk about her.”

 

“Did I hit a nerve talking about your little gumdrop princess?” Uma coos as she crosses her arms over her chest while the people surround her watch on in amusement. “Oh, Mal. I guess your little bitch has turned you soft.”

 

Mal likes to believe that nothing can phase her, but Uma has a way of getting under skin. From the time they were little, Uma and Mal have been at each other’s throats; Mal knows Uma has a hard time swallowing down the fact that she isn’t the same kind of natural born enforcer that Mal is. But deep down, Mal knows that if they were friends that they could very well take over any kingdom they please. But right now? Right now all Mal can hear is Uma insulting Evie, and all she can do is cross the room and shove the girl back until they’re both tumbling into a half broken table while the people surrounding them go into an uproar.

 

“What did I say?” Mal growls.

 

Uma cackles as her eyes brighten, “You really have gone soft. And for a princess? I expected better out of you.”

 

“Your expectations mean _nothing_ to me.” Mal assures her as she shoves her back once more. “I don’t have time to play games. I just wanted to let you know I’m back and I’m not going anywhere. Get ready to fight for your turf, shrimpy.”

 

Uma pushes her back, “You don’t get to reclaim your territory, you gave it up the second you forgot about where you came from.”

 

“We’ll see.” Mal hums as she steps back and waves her fingers at Uma. “Just remember whose always been the better leader, Uma. I’ll have your crew begging on their knees for me in mere hours.”

 

“Anyone can do that, especially if they have that little book of yours.” Uma scoffs, and her expression twists into amusement as she tilts her head. “If I had it, I bet I could have your princess on her knees.”

 

Mal clenches her jaw and takes a step back, “Don’t get too comfortable, Uma. You’ll be back skulking with your little bottom feeders by the end of tomorrow night.”

 

With one last gleam of her eyes, Mal turns on her heel and storms from the shack. As soon as the doors slam shut behind her, her heart momentarily aches as she thinks of Uma’s words; she doesn’t like the idea of her greatest enemy knowing about her biggest weakness. With a controlled sigh, Mal glances down the alleyway and she can make out the shape of Auradon, and she can’t help but feel a little thankful that Evie is far away from the mess she is creating. After a moment longer, Mal disappears through a drain pipe and sets off towards her lair, she needs to paint, she needs to fall back into who she was before she knew what love was; she needs to let go, to forget. No matter how hard it is, Mal is determined to forget about Auradon.

 

-

 

Evie swallows hard as the voices surrounding her speak quickly and over one another. She doesn’t try to add in her opinion, she doesn’t see the point; all she can do is think about all the things she did wrong. She replays every moment with Mal and kicks herself when she recalls small things that she had somehow missed. The idea that Mal is gone, that she is back on the awful Isle, makes her stomach twist in the most unpleasant way and she just wants her girlfriend to come back. That feeling, the one that weighs deep in her stomach and wreaks havoc on her heart, engulfs her and she struggles to take a deep breath as she curls the material of her dress in her fists. She tries to focus on the air that fills her lungs, and she tries to focus on the voices of her friends; it takes a moment longer, and when she opens her eyes she stands and moves to her closet where she pulls out Mal’s purple leather jacket.

 

“We need to leave soon.” Evie whispers.

 

“We can’t just stay here!” Ben exclaims as he looks between the group crowded in Evie and Audrey’s dorm room. “As upset with her as I am, she needs us. Something is clearly wrong, and as her friends we have to figure out what.”

 

Evie curls the jacket around her frame, “We should take the limo.”

 

“Let me go on my own…” Carlos begins.

 

“You’re not going without me.” Jay scoffs as he folds his arms over his chest, and he arches an eyebrow when Carlos begins to protest. “I am _not_ sending my boyfriend back to the Isle without me, not happening. Nice attempt though, babe.”

 

“It’s dangerous.” Carlos huffs.

 

“Hence the reason we’re _all_ going with you. You can show us around, but you can’t do this all by yourself. Let us help, Carlos.” Lonnie pleads as she looks up at Hayden who nods in agreement. “We can convince her together, we’re her family.”

 

Carlos hesitates, “Mal will never forgive me if something happens to any of you, and she’ll lose whatever sanity she has left if Evie so much as gets a mark on her.”

 

“I’ll take care of my sister.” Ben assures him with a lopsided grin. “We’ll all take care of each other. We won’t be gone long, we just need to find her and convince her to come home.”

 

“You say that as if it’s going to be easy.” Carlos scoffs. “This is _Mal._ She’s as stubborn as they come, and she doesn’t want to come back. There has to be more to why she left.”

 

“It was because of me.” Evie murmurs.

 

Silence surrounds them as they finally take notice to Evie and Hayden quickly steps forward, “You can’t blame this on yourself, Eves.”

 

“I pushed her into this life, and I didn’t stop to check on her. I thought she was happy.” Evie admits as she flinches. “She was...I think she was using her spellbook just to get through certain events. I think she was overwhelmed.”

 

“That doesn’t make it your fault.” Ben soothes as he moves to drape a protective arm around her. “I know how tired Audrey has been, I can’t even imagine how exhausted Mal is…”

 

Evie tenses, “Not helping.”

 

“I’m not finished.” Ben chuckles as he pulls Evie into his side and presses a kiss to the top of her head. “I was going to say that our girlfriends are stubborn and they want what’s best for us, I had to _force_ Audrey to leave for the spa trip.”

 

“I wanted to take her to Olympus, and then a week on History Island.” Evie murmurs as her brow furrows sadly. “I had all these plans, but I ruined any chance I had at that happiness.”

 

“You’ll get your chance, Eves. I promise. We’ll get there and get out, all you need to do is pout and she’ll be putty.” Jay teases, and his heart warms as she smiles softly. “Just relax, okay? Everything is going to be, you have us for back up.”

 

“You guys have no idea what you’re stepping into, you know that right?” Carlos sneers as he looks them over and takes in their school blazers and fancy dresses. “If you show up on the Isle like that then you’ll end up murdered.”

 

“Evie can make us some outfits.” Lonnie shrugs.

 

“That will take all evening, and we need to go. I don’t want her on the Isle for any longer than necessary, something could happen to her.” Evie huffs. “Carlos, I’m sure you’ve got some stuff for Hayden to wear and Mal left some of her stuff so Lonnie and I can wear that and I can make an outfit for Jay and Ben.”

 

Jay scrunches his nose, “I just want some pants.”

 

“Alright, the look is important but some of you are going to stick out like sore thumbs.” Carlos notes as he flashes a glance to Evie.

 

“I-I can be evil.” Evie scoffs.

 

Carlos furrows his brow, “I don’t know about that.”

 

“All you need to know is that I’ll do whatever is necessary to get her back, even if it means tapping into a part of me that has been buried.” Evie declares as she shrugs off Ben’s arm. “Get your stuff together, we’ll leave after dinner.”

 

Evie doesn’t bother to wait for them to respond, she just moves to her sewing machine and sets to work. Everything around her disappears as she thinks about how good things were. For once in her life, she had followed her heart and it had only ended up breaking her. Evie sniffles as she thinks of Mal and wonders if she’s okay, she can only hope that no one has caught onto her being back. With the image of her girlfriend being alone and scared, Evie clenches her jaw and sets to work on Ben and Jay’s outfits; she was going to get Mal off that island and back where she belonged, back to her family.

  
And when they’re finally in the limo, finally crossing over that golden bridge, Evie feels her heart bottom out; she hopes with everything she is that she is enough to convince Mal to come back.


	2. because you're mine, i walk the line

The green streaks perfectly across the wall and Mal hums in happiness at the sight. She’s only been back on the Isle for a few hours, but she feels like a piece of her has returned. The only problem is, she feels like a bigger piece is missing. She expected to come back and fall into her old habits but she _can’t._ She tries to pickpocket some salesman only to hear Ben’s disappointed voice. Then she swipes a piece of fruit only to return it when she pictures Lonnie’s glare. She even attempted to threaten someone, but Carlos’ scared face popped into her head and she swallowed down the words. They were in her head, in her heart, and she knows that she’ll never be able to escape them. Somehow she has allowed them to burrow their way into her cold heart, and without them the warmth has slowly dwindled away; she never realized how much effect they all had over her, she is starting to realize that it wasn’t just Evie keeping her in Auradon.

 

Just the thought of her girlfriend causes her to falter, and she has to bite her lower lip in a silent punishment as she is flooded with images of Evie. She pictures the way she laughs, always so carefree and with the widest smile. She thinks of how soft Evie’s hand feels in her own, how she somehow holds Mal down to reality. She can’t help but think of their happiness, how they can text for hours and meet up a few minutes later yet never run out of things to talk about. Evie has brought out a light in her, she _is_ Mal’s light, but she doesn’t deserve it; not after all the things she has done and all the people she has hurt. All she deserves is the loneliness that the Isle brings her.

 

“Mal?”

 

The voice is so small, so timid, that Mal almost misses it. Then again, this is the same voice she’d be able to pick out even if they were stuffed in a room with a bunch of screaming people. With a forced look of irritation, Mal drops a half used can of spray paint aside and turns to face Evie who watches her with a hesitant expression. A small smile tugs at her full lips as she takes in Evie’s outfit, and she can’t help but wonder how long it took her girlfriend to make the leather get up she is currently wearing. But as quickly as the smile comes, it goes. It takes her a moment to really realize that her girlfriend, her perfect girlfriend, is on the Isle. Evie is on the _Isle_. Just like that, the lightness that Evie usually brings fades away as the fear settles in her and she shakes her head in an attempt to clear away her sudden bombardment of dark thoughts.

 

“How did you get here?” Mal demands.

 

Evie shrugs nervously, “The limo.”

 

“You can’t be here.” Mal scowls.

 

“Yeah, but I am.” Evie shrugs as she flutters her lashes and tries to calm her racing heart. “Mal, why did you leave? Did you really think that I wouldn’t follow you here?”

 

Mal shakes her head as she forces a look of annoyance, “You don’t need to be here, you wasted your time. Go home, Evie. Find someone else to play the part of your perfect fairytale.”

 

“Why won’t you just talk to me?” Evie whispers as she steps towards Mal. “I have _never_ asked you to be something you’re not, I never expected you to be. You just...you _left_. You left me, Mal. And for what? For this?”

 

“I don’t fit in there, princess.” Mal sneers as she curls her lip up in anger. “I tried, I really did. I tried to be the perfect version of what Audrey is, and I failed. You deserve someone else, someone who knows how to handle your life. I’m just not cut out for the job.”

 

Evie blinks as she ducks her head, “I don’t understand.”

 

“There isn’t much to understand. I know I agreed to go on the tour thing with you, but I didn’t realize how much stress it would be.” Mal sighs, and her heart breaks at the confusion on Evie’s face. “It’s too much, I just...it’s _so_ much.”

 

“You tried to tell me and I didn’t listen. I’m  _sorry,_ Mal. I’m sorry.” Evie whimpers as she bites down on her quivering lower lip. “My head has been so wrapped up in Ben’s upcoming cotillion and I’ve pushed our relationship aside, and that’s not right. You deserve better than that.”

 

Mal sucks in a breath as she pinches her inner wrist to keep herself from going to Evie, “Don’t blame yourself, this was inevitable. We gave it a shot, and it didn’t work out. I’m better off here on the Isle, and you belong back in Auradon. We just don’t fit together, princess.”

 

“That’s not true.” Evie scoffs. “Mal, we’re perfect for each other and we both know that. We’re meant to be together, and I understand that you need some time to see that. But you know me, you know that I’ll wait. I have all the time in the world.”

 

Mal shakes her head, “You’re too good.”

 

“I love you.” Evie whispers, and the words are so soft and sure that it makes Mal’s heart ache. “You are a part of me, Mal. I just...I can’t see myself with anyone but you. I don’t _want_ anyone but you. I just want you to come home, please come home.”

 

“I can’t, E.” Mal mutters. “I _can’t._ ”

 

“I didn’t know what you were going through, I thought that you were fine.” Evie whispers as she fiddles with the leather on her jacket sleeve. “I thought everything was perfect, that you were _happy_. Why did you hide your feelings from me?”

 

“You had so much faith in me. I-I didn’t want to let you down.” Mal explains as she runs a hand through her soft locks. “It was tearing me apart, Eves. I had to listen to my heart, I was going crazy.”

 

“I would have supported you, Mal.” Evie frowns. “I had faith in you, but you had none in me. That’s what the problem is. You didn’t trust me enough to take care of you, to acknowledge your feelings. You just kept _lying_ about how you felt.”

 

Mal shrugs, “I thought it was for the best.”

 

Evie sucks in a breath and rubs a hand through her hair as she looks away from her girlfriend, “I’m going to get some air. I-I think we need to talk, Mal. Really talk. If you want to stay here though, I’m staying too. We’ll work through this.”

 

Mal gaps for a moment as Evie looks at her for another moment before she turns to rush down the stairs. The lair is silent once the bounce of heels goes, and Mal tries to get a grasp of the conversation. Somehow it feels like everything is worse, it feels like everything has shattered. Mal sucks in a breath as she shakes her head clear of her thoughts before she rushes to the staircase and hurries down them, she jumps the last few and throws herself at the railing so she can look down to see the faces of her friends.

 

“Evie, wait!”

 

Jay looks up to see Mal, “She went to get some air.”

 

“ _What_?” Mal hisses as the fear engulfs her, and she is quick to scramble her way down the stairs before she fumbles forward into Lonnie. “You let her go off alone? Are you insane?”

 

“Mal, she’s right there.” Ben sighs with a frown, and Mal matches the expression as a woman who is clearly not Evie looks their way. “Oh God. She was right there, I swear.”

 

“Spread out.” Mal growls. “Find her.”

 

As soon as everyone disappears in groups, Mal softens as the realization runs through her; if she can’t find Evie then that means someone has her, and Mal is determined to get her back.

 

-

 

Evie doesn’t understand how she has let this happen, how she has managed to lose her entire heart. For the first time in a long time, she feels broken. She feels lost. She doesn’t understand how her beautiful relationship has shattered so badly, she can’t place the moment when she let it all go. Evie swallows hard as she reaches up to fiddle with the locket around her neck, the purple locket that Mal had made her for their first anniversary, and wonders how she is going to fix everything. She knows she’ll never give up on Mal, and she silently hopes that Mal feels the same; she knows in her heart that what they have is special, what they have is important. With a small nod to herself, Evie vows that she’ll somehow fix this. Just as she pushes off the wall she is leaning against, a shadow slips in a few feet away and she tenses when she hears the intoxicating sound of low humming.

 

“Mirror, mirror in my hand,” A voice purrs, and the accent sends a cold shiver down her spine. “I seem to have found the fairest lady in the land.”

 

“I’m sorry. Is this your spot?” Evie chirps as she forces an expression of indifference. “I’ll just get out of your way.”

 

“I don’t think so, Lady Evie.” The boy chuckles as he scrapes a hook down the wall beside her head and catches her against the damp brick. “Didn’t your perfect little mommy and daddy teach you that this isn’t a playground?”

 

Evie narrows her eyes, “Let me go.”

 

“Technically, I don’t have you. But I will.” The stranger grins before he drags his hook harshly down the rock and over the collar of her purple leather jacket. “I suppose it’s only fair I introduce meself. I’m Harry, son of Captain Hook.”

 

“And I’m the daughter of the King and Queen of Auradon and I demand you get away from me.” Evie snaps, and Harry pokes out his lower lip as he takes a small step back and allows her to move away from the wall. “Thank you. Now, I’ll be on my way and we can pretend this conversation never happened.”

 

“Oh, Evie.” Harry coos as he drapes a strong arm around her shoulders. “So trusting, so _foolish._ You can’t possibly believe I would just allow you to slip through my grasp, you are a reward for my captain. For _my_ love from _your_ love.”

 

Evie attempts to shrug him off, “You don’t have to do this…”

 

“But I do.” Harry pouts as he swings her to face him before he presses a hand to her mouth. “Shh. It’s not like you screaming would draw attention from anyone. You, my darling, are _mine._ My brand new shiny toy.”

 

“Evie!”

 

“Well, shit.” Harry grumbles as he twines an arm around her stomach and pulls her into him before he slides them into the shadow of the alley way. “Looks like they’re searching for you, princess.”

 

“Evie, where are you?”

 

Evie yells against Harry’s palm and he is quick to tighten his grasp as he glares down at her, “Keep your mouth shut.”

 

She tries to struggle, but the grip around her waist remains and all she can do is watch as Jay and Carlos race by with Ben at their heels. As soon as they’re gone, she simply sinks into Harry with tears of defeat in her eyes. A sinister laugh rings in her ear and she shivers in disgust when cold lips kiss away a tear that has escaped. With a hum of satisfaction, Harry tightens his grasp once more on Evie until she is breathless and then she feels the hook against her stomach and she knows that there is no escaping what is about to happen. She wants to beg him to just do what he has to, but she is a little surprised when he begins to lead her down the alleyway; it stuns her when no one passes them a glance, it stuns her that no one _cares._

 

Harry isn’t gentle as he leads her into a rundown shack that is supposedly a restaurant. Her stomach immediately turns in disgust at the smell, and she barely catches herself as Harry shoves her forward and she lands on her hands and knees. The uproar of the place goes deathly silent, and Evie can hear the tap of boots before she sees them in her eyeline. It takes her a moment to gather her herself, but she finally looks up into the eyes of someone Mal has talked about before, she knows exactly who this girl is just by the dangerous smirk on her face. Evie cringes as Uma cackles in delight at her gift, and she looks to Harry with wide, childlike excitement as she snaps her fingers and a minion of hers is quick to yank Evie to her feet.

 

“My captain,” Harry purrs as he gives a bow. “I found you a gift, she was left alone in an alleyway. Those fools didn’t think to keep a better eye on her.”

 

“Wandering around helplessly through the street. Tsk, tsk. Mal really should keep a better leash on her little pet.” Uma hums as she scans Evie over. “Take off her jacket, we want to ensure that Mal knows exactly who we have.”

 

Evie attempts to flee as soon as Harry releases her, but she is quickly stopped as a sword is lifted to press against the purple jewel of the necklace she wears. With a scowl, Evie squirms as dirty hands yank at the leather jacket until she is left in a t-shirt and her skirt. A giddy cackle leaves Uma as she is handed the jacket and she turns it over to admire the stitching before she reaches out to shove it into Gil’s arms. All at once, he simply looks to her before he turns to scamper out of the restaurant to deliver his little gift.

 

“Now, my mother did teach me a few rules of hospitality.” Uma sighs as she snaps her fingers and a few goons step forward. “Tie her up. I think we should take her to the boat.”

 

“You don’t have to do this…” Evie whimpers as she stumbles back.

 

“But I do.” Uma sighs. “You see, your little _girlfriend_ has decided to poach in on my territory and I want her to know what happens when she does. Not to mention, she has something that I want and I intend to collect it. Take her to the ship.”

 

Evie is powerless as she is dragged away, “She isn’t going to let this go, she’ll come for me.”

 

“Oh, I know.” Uma smirks as she twists her sword to bounce the gleam of light off it. “And I’ll be waiting for her.”

 

-

 

“I can’t find her.”

 

Mal can feel the panic swell low in her gut as Lonnie and Hayden appear to confirm her fears. The group stands together and all look to Mal to watch her reaction, and all she can do is fight to tame her expression. Crying and losing control won’t do anything to find Evie, and she refuses to allow her emotions to show why she is here on the Isle. So with a firm nod, she bites down on her tongue and soothes herself when the taste of copper fills her mouth. If she’s being honest, she doesn’t know what to do. She doesn’t know where to look for Evie, all she knows is that the girl she loves is wandering around in this dangerous place and she has no idea what she’s doing; she knows her girlfriend, and she can almost picture Evie willingly following a random villain into an alleyway after asking for directions to the way off the Isle.

 

“Hi, Mal! You are one tough fairy to find.”

 

Mal tenses as she turns to see Gil, “What do you want, Gil?”

 

“Why are you so mad?” Gil frowns, and his eyes widen as he sees the group slowly advancing on him and he’s quick to hold up the leather jacket. “I just came to give you this jacket!”

 

“What?” Mal hisses as she snatches it from his grasp, and her senses are immediately filled with Evie as she is bombarded with the scent of vanilla and strawberries. “This is Evie’s.”

 

At once, everyone lunges forward, but surprisingly Carlos is the first to reach Gil as he pins him against the wall. Everyone goes stock still as they watch him with shock on their faces, but Mal swells with pride; Carlos has never been the fighting type, but she knows he’ll do anything to protect his friends. With a growl, Carlos tightens his grip on Gil and pushes him harder to the brick while Gil simply stares down at him with wide eyes. Mal has always felt bad for Gil, he really is just a throw away friend to Uma; she always risks him, and sometimes Mal wished Gil could just wake up and see it.

 

“Where is Evie?” Carlos demands.

 

“Uma has her.” Gil chirps before he glances down at Carlos’ tight grip on his ragged t-shirt. “Can you uh maybe let me go? I just washed this shirt like four days ago, and I don’t want to get it dirty.”

 

Carlos loosens his grip slightly, “Why did Uma take her? What does she want?”

 

“She doesn’t want much.” Gil assures them with a lopsided grin. “She didn’t really say, but I think she wants Mal’s spellbook. She talks about it a lot.”

 

“No way.” Mal snaps.

 

Gil shrugs and gently pushes Carlos away as he brushes off his shirt, “I don’t know, dude, Uma seems pretty serious. She made the guys tie the princess up and everything.”

 

“Let her go!” Ben roars.

 

“I can’t. I don’t have her.” Gil points out.

 

“Where is she then?” Lonnie asks in a gentle voice.

 

“I don’t think I’m supposed to say, they just said to give you the jacket.” Gil shrugs. “Anyway, I’ll see you guys later!”

 

Mal is shaking with fury as she watches Gil practically skip away. She wants to break something, _someone._ Her entire body burns with an energy she has never felt before and she feels a little breathless as dark spots appear in her vision. She’s scared, she’s pissed, and she doesn’t know how to handle it. The fire builds and licks through her until her skin feels hot, and she turns her gaze to Carlos who has settled and is messing with his gloves. She blames him, she can’t help it; Carlos knows what goes on here on the Isle yet he still thought it was okay to bring a handful of Auradon kids.

 

“This is _your_ fault.” Mal snarls as she glares at Carlos who shrinks back at the green glow in her eyes. “I can’t believe you brought her here, you know how dangerous this place this. Not to mention that her mother is lurking around like the evil little…”

 

“Mal, we’re getting off topic here,” Jay cuts in with a frantic expression. “I don’t know who this Uma is, but she has my best friend and she doesn’t seem like the type to fuck around.”

 

“She’s a shrimp.” Mal assures him, but her voice quakes as she regards him. “We need to get swords, something tells me she won’t go down without a fight.”

 

“Swords?” Ben scoffs.

 

Mal curls her lip as she glares him, “Yeah. Let’s go. We need to be ready for when they set the time for the trade. We need to be prepared to fight.”

 

Hayden shrugs, “Yeah, but she’s a shrimp, right? We got this.”

 

Mal doesn’t comment, she doesn’t have the energy to lie; instead she follows Jay down the alleyway as they head towards the sword shop.

 

Ben slows to fall alongside Mal, “Why do I feel like you’re not telling us something?”

 

“Look, all I know is that Evie is in danger and that’s all I’m focused on. Just...you need to be ready.” Mal orders as she glares up him.

 

Ben takes hold of her arm and pulls her to a stop as he frowns, “If anything happens to my sister, I’ll never forgive you.”

 

Mal shrugs him off and locks their gazes, “I won’t forgive myself either. Now, let’s go.”

  
With that, they take off towards the sword shop and towards one step closer to getting Evie back.


	3. tried to be the hero (to a girl who don't need saving)

Evie clenches her jaw as she pulls at the ropes tied around her wrists, she can feel the material cutting into her skin and she knows there’s no way she’s getting out of this. With a defeated sigh, she eventually gives in and allows her hands to drop as she swivels her head in an attempt to take in her surroundings. Everything is so _loud._ Swords clash playfully together, flasks are smacked together before emptied of their contents, and laughter echoes along the deck as the crew mills around. Evie is kind of thankful they haven’t paid her any mind, she prefers it that way. The last thing she needs is to draw unwanted attention to herself; all she can do is stay tied up here and reluctantly play the part of being a damsel in distress.

 

“You thirsty?” Harry demands as he saunters over to her and waves a flask her way, but Evie simply shakes her head. “Oh come off it, it’s not like I’m planning to poison you.”

 

Evie once again shakes her head, “No thank you.”

 

“You’re much too sweet of a lass. Tell me how you ended up dating the worst of the worst.” Harry scolds as he takes a swig of the drink before he steps closer to Evie. “Your precious fairy isn’t as perfect as you think she is.”

 

“I never said I thought she was.” Evie snaps.

 

The amusement dies away from Harry’s face as he steps forward to press his hook against the smooth plane of her cheek, “Don’t get cheeky with me, Princess Evie. This here hook can gut you like a fish.”

 

“Harry!”

 

Harry pulls back with a slight pout, “We’re only talking.”

 

“Talking? I don’t know if you know the meaning of the word. Threatening? Now, _that_ I would believe from you.” Uma smirks as she moves towards the pair, and Harry continues to sulk. “I told you that you can have some fun with her if that greedy little fairy doesn’t show up on time.”

 

“Oh, yes. That’s right.” Harry beams as he perks up and gives a dramatic bow. “I’m off to deliver a message, I do hope we can continue our little game when I get back.”

 

Evie watches him go and feels her lower lip quiver with fear. She can’t help but silently hope that Mal is close, that she’ll be saved soon. As soon as Harry is gone, Uma approaches and looks her over. Evie hates that look, it isn’t really even a look at all, it’s a leer. She feels like a slab of meat and Uma is watching her like she is absolutely starving. Evie squirms as she tries to turn away from the look, but Uma simply gives a low chuckle and approaches her until they are so close that Evie can count her eyelashes. Uma is silent as she observes her features, and Evie avoids meeting her gaze as she desperately tugs at the ropes on her wrists and winces with every twinge of pain.

 

“You’re hot.” Uma hums as she runs a gentle hand over Evie’s cheek before she curls a blue strand of hair around her finger. “I can see the appeal of you now, princess.”

 

“ _Don’t_ call me that.” Evie snaps.

 

Uma arches an eyebrow as she drops the blue curl and steps back to eye Evie, “Feisty. Looks like there’s a little bit of fire left in you, Lil Evil Queen. I like the sight of it.”

 

“What do you want?” Evie hisses.

 

“Did you know that my mother almost drown me trying to hide me the first time those knights in bullshit armor came around?” Uma demands as she circles Evie. “And the second time? Well, the second time around they didn’t want anyone other than Mal and Carlos.”

 

Evie struggles as she regards Uma for a short moment, “My brother had plans to bring over more of you. He just needed time.”

 

“Time? Time for what?” Uma cackles as she slides her sword from her side sheath. “While your brother supposedly bought some _time_ for himself, the rest of us had to sit back and watch that little bitch get everything she doesn’t deserve.”

 

“Don’t talk about her like that.” Evie growls.

 

Uma bristles and moves the sword to press against Evie’s neck, “You have no idea the kind of monster your girlfriend was long before she was dropped in the safety of Boradon.”

 

“Mal did what she had to survive…”

 

“Is that what she told you?” Uma smirks as she slowly lowers her weapon.

 

“She didn’t have to, I can just tell. Look, I can’t say that I know what you’re going through but I can _help_ you.” Evie assures her. “I’ll put a list together for my brother, he can get you off this island.”

 

Uma laughs loudly as her eyes twinkle with absolute wonder, “You really are too good. If it wasn’t for that god awful blue hair, I’d assume you were born in Auradon like the rest of those squares.”

 

“What do you want from this?” Evie demands.

 

“What do I want?” Uma repeats as she lifts her sword once more and catches the tip on the chain of Evie’s necklace. “I want what I should have had all those years ago, I want a way off this island. I want a chance to get what _I_ deserve.”

 

“You don’t _deserve_ anything…” Evie trails off with a hiss as the blade nicks her neck, and she can feel the blood trail along her skin.

 

“Watch your mouth, princess,” Uma snaps as she pulls her sword back and returns it to her sheath. “If you’re not careful, your little girlfriend will be retrieving your dead body.”

 

Uma leaves her, and Evie finally ducks her head and allows the tears to fall.

 

-

 

“You need to be _faster_.” Ben scolds as he swings at Mal who easily swings her sword to clash with his while her eyes glow. “We’ll never get her back if you fight like that. You’re being reckless. You need to think before you swing.”

 

Mal meets his blow with one of her own, “I know how to fight, Ben.”

 

“Do you?” Ben scoffs.

 

“Would you like to see?”

 

The rest of their friends pause as they watch the swords clash together, and they can tell neither is holding back. The two dance around each other and Mal jumps up to avoid the swing Ben takes at her legs before she counters it with a blow he just barely dodges. Eventually, Ben manages to get Mal pinned against a large wooden crate and she struggles before her eyes flash green and she slams the end of her sword into his chest and sends him flying back. For a moment, all is silent before Ben’s features twist and he releases a roar that causes everyone to stumble back. Even Mal, as pissed as she is, drops her weapon and watches as Ben springs to his feet with a glare.

 

“Beasting out, Benny Boo?” Mal sneers.

 

“My sister is missing.” Ben growls. “Because of you.”

 

Mal pauses and looks to him, “What?”

 

“ _You_ are the reason she was taken.” Ben scoffs with a look of bitter amusement. “All my sister did was love you, and all she gets in return is near death experiences. If I had it my way, I would find a way to go back to that clinic and make sure that she never stepped foot in your room.”

 

“Ben…” Lonnie begins.

 

“It’s okay, he has a point.” Mal shrugs as she waves Lonnie off. “If I could, I would walk away from Evie and let her live her life. I would leave her be. But I can’t because she loves me and I love her just as much. So, you can hate me all you want but you can’t change that between your sister and I.”

 

“She’s trying her best, Ben.” Jay whispers.

 

Mal shakes her head, “Let him be pissed, Jay. I deserve it.”

 

“No, he’s right. I was wrong. I can’t blame this on you, it isn’t your fault.” Ben assures her, and Mal tenses as she sees the shine in his eyes. “But she’s my little sister, and I promised to always protect her. I don’t know what to do.”

 

“We do this.” Mal replies. “We get ready for whatever Uma has planned.”

 

Ben swallows hard, “I don’t know what I’ll do if something happens to her. She’s always been there, for as long as I can remember.”

 

“I will tear apart anyone that gets in the way of us getting her back.” Mal assures him as she tightens her grasp on her sword. “I promise.”

 

“Me too.” Jay nods as he subtly flexes his biceps.

 

Carlos looks to his boyfriend as he twirls his sword with ease, “Me three.”

 

“Us too.” Lonnie whispers as she looks to Hayden who simply bobs his head. “We’re going to get her back, Ben.”

 

Ben breathes in sharply and raises his sword, “Lets go again.”

 

Mal finds that her and Ben work well together, they bounce easily off each other. They give up on training an hour later and Mal takes to pacing as she waits for something to happen. She feels like every second she wastes is just another moment she doesn’t have with Evie. All she wants to do is scour the entire island, but she knows there’s no use in wasting her energy. Beside her, Jay flips a coin over and over while Carlos rocks back and forth on his heels with an anxious expression. They’re all on edge, and she can feel the way the way the tension crackles heavily between them.

 

“And what do we have here?”

 

Mal hisses as she turns to see the familiar smirk of Harry in the mouth of the alley, “Where is she?”

 

“Where is who?” Harry purrs as he pushes off the brick and slowly saunters into their space. “Uma? Well, she is currently…”

 

“Where is my sister?” Ben demands as he lunges forward only to be shoved back as Hayden flashes him a glare of warning. “Tell us. Where is Evie? You holding her like this is a crime that will deliver a punishment worse than death.”

 

“Oh, handsome, you are _standing_ in the middle of that punishment. Welcome.” Harry grins as he spreads his arms out to present the Isle. “As for your beautiful sister, she is perfectly safe. The boys are keeping her entertained.”

 

Jay tenses, “If anything happens to her…”

 

“Ah, ah,” Harry scolds as he waves his hook towards Jay while a grin edges at his lips. “Threatening me isn’t the brightest idea. It’s as if you’ve forgotten who holds all the power here.”

 

“If you lay a single hook on her head…”

 

Harry smirks as he runs said hook over his own cheek as he scans Mal over, “Oh, I’m going to lay more than a hook on her.”

 

“You wouldn’t dare.” Mal hisses as she moves forward to fist the leather of his vest and slam him hard against the brick wall. “Where is she?”

 

“Waiting on her knight in shining armor.” Harry whispers, and his blue eyes are bright with excitement. “Meet at the docks at three, bring the book. Or else your little girlfriend is going to take a swim.”

 

Mal releases him and steps away, “You don’t know what you’ve done.”

 

“We did exactly what we wanted.” Harry giggles as he straightens his vest and jacket. “We got a rise out of you, and we’re going to get off this island. After that? Well, the world is ours to take.”

 

Harry watches them from a moment longer before he spins on his heel and walks away whistling a familiar tune. As Mal watches him go, she can feel the rage burning through her and her body quakes as she tries to quell her anger. With a gasp, Mal tilts her head back as she feels the way _something_ rushes over her and it’s gone as soon as it comes. Mal swallows hard and turns back to her friends who watch on with wide eyes and expressions that clearly beg for her to tell them what to do; they look as lost as she feels.

 

Mal flexes her jaw, “Three o’clock. We get her back and we get the fuck out of here.”

 

“You too?” Carlos asks with a hopeful expression.

 

“Anywhere she goes, I’ll follow.” Mal assures him with a small smile. “I need to go back to my hideout and get my book, I’ll meet you guys at the drainpipe in an hour.”

 

Mal leaves, she doesn’t even make it out of the secluded area before the first tear falls.

 

-

 

_“Stop!”_

 

_“Yes, you want her. Look at her, you know you do. Possible she wants you too, there is one way to ask her. You don’t say a word, not a single world, go on and kiss the girl.”_

 

_“That is...creepy.”_

 

_Evie giggles as she presses a kiss to Mal’s shoulder while her arms tighten around her waist, “I happen to think it’s a cute song.”_

 

_“Lame.” Mal grumbles._

 

_“So, you don’t want me to sing to you anymore?”_

 

_“Did I say that?” Mal scoffs._

 

_Evie rolls her eyes as she rests her chin on Mal’s shoulder while her girlfriend paints, “Float along and listen to the song, go on and kiss the girl…”_

 

_“What do you think?” Mal asks with a frown._

 

_“I think it’s beautiful.” Evie grins as she observes the scenery painting Mal is finishing. “It’s going to look really good in my dorm.”_

 

_Mal turns in her arms with an arched brow, “You actually want to hang this up?”_

 

_“Of course I do!” Evie giggles as she presses a kiss to Mal’s forehead. “And one day we can hang it up in our castle alongside all your other work...I hope our kids inherit your talent.”_

 

_“Planning out our future again, princess?” Mal chuckles as she reaches up to sweep a strand of blue hair from soft eyes. “Do I actually get a say in any of this?”_

 

_“Mm, of course.” Evie hums. “Any input?”_

 

_Mal considers it before she shrugs, “Sounds like you pretty much got it all down. Big castle, lots of kids, marrying you? Twelve-year-old me would be punching me in the face right now.”_

 

_“And what about current you?” Evie grins._

 

_“Current me?” Mal scoffs before she carefully arches her head up to press a gentle kiss to Evie’s smiling lips. “Current me can’t wait for our future to begin.”_

 

“You’re so pretty.”

 

Mal’s touch fades, and so does the memory.

 

“Shame Uma won’t let us have any fun with her.”

 

Evie cringes as the crew mingles around her and flashes her occasional leers. The pain radiates through her arms as she continues with the rope that is curled securely around her wrists; she knows her wrists are raw, she has been tugging at the rope for hours. Evie blinks away her tears of fear as she sees the group of villains approaching her, the intentions clear on their faces. She tries not to cringe as a gloved hand reaches out to run around her cheek before he grapples at her jaw and turns her head so he can lock their gazes. Evie meets his blue eyes and narrows her bright orbs, but all she is met with is a yellow toothed smirk before the hand slides from her face and along her arm before she struggles slightly against the rope in an attempt to get away from his touch.

 

“You don’t like that, sweetheart?” He purrs.

 

Evie scrunches her nose, “I don’t like _you_.”

 

The crew member in front of her pauses for a moment as he regards her with an air of disgust. She can see it in his eyes, the buried need to be accepted, and the group surrounding him is quick to latch onto it as they shove at his shoulders and shout orders. The boy licks his lips as he looks at Evie for a long moment, and she flinches as she sees a glaze slide over his eyes as his features go slack. Before she can process it, a gloved hand slides through the air and Evie cries out as her head snaps to the side and the sound of laughter fades to background noise as blood fills her mouth. She can feel the thin trickle of warm liquid dripping down the length of her chin as she parts her lips and slides her tongue over the deep split on her lower lip.

 

Evie gives a forced chuckle as she flicks her hair from her eyes, “That the best you got? I know princesses who hit harder than that.”

 

Her words are met with another strike, and her head snaps back against the pole with a sharp thud. Evie doesn’t know what possessed her to egg the pirates on, but the way her face throbs makes her regret it. The laughter fills the air around her and she feels fingers wrap tight around her jaw and squeeze until her lip throbs painfully. Evie struggles for a moment, but it proves fruitless as she is met simply with a smirk as eyes spark with amusement; she knows she screwed up, but she refuses to show these lowlifes a single ounce of fear.

 

“How was that, sweetheart?” The boy purrs. “Still think I hit like a princess?”

 

“Enough!”

 

The yell causes the excitement to turn to fear as they part to reveal a fuming Uma. For a moment, the silence is almost deafening for the crew begins to quickly speak over each other in an effort to place the blame on each other. Uma listens for only a minute before the fire rages in her dark eyes as she takes in the damage to Evie’s face, and she is quick to release a cry of frustration before Harry darts forward and grapples onto the nearest crew member. Without so much as a struggle, he quickly leans the boy back over the rail and holds him over the choppy waters. The sword on Uma’s hip is ripped free and she moves to press it against Evie’s chin before she slowly guides her head up to inspect the damage; it isn’t terrible, but Evie knows her eye will swell eventually and her entire mouth throbs painfully.

 

“Do you expect Mal to walk away from this fight once she sees her face?” Uma demands as she clenches her jaw. “I gave you orders not to touch her, she isn’t more than a pawn in this game.”

 

“She has a mouth on her!” The pirate exclaims.

 

Harry hisses and narrows her eyes, “Did the captain ask for your opinion?”

 

“N-No.”

 

“Exactly.”

 

Evie gasps in horror as Harry drops the crew member over the side, and she hears the loud splash before she turns her wide eyes to Uma. The captain watches on with a look of glee and Harry giggles happily as he spins to face Uma who simply winks at him. After a moment, she turns to look at Evie and looks over her injuries before she gives a firm, strong nod. Evie is pain, and she’s angry, all she wants to do is lash out but the gleam of the sword makes her think twice about speaking; she’d rather not add yet another injury to her long list of her current problems.

 

Uma looks her crew over, “Touch the princess again and you’ll suffer the same fate.”

 

Once again, Evie is left alone with her injuries and tears.

 

-

 

“Are you sure about this?”

 

Mal tenses as Carlos pops up beside her as they scamper through the drain pipe, “What other option do we have here? I won’t let her spend another second with Uma.”

 

“It’s your spell book, Mal.” Carlos points out.

 

“And the most she can do with it is read it, nothing that will get her off the Isle.” Mal assures him, and then her worried green eyes meet his. “Evie is my fucking heart, Carlos. I-I would give Uma anything she asked as long as it meant I got Evie back.”

 

Carlos nods and Mal knows he’ll stand beside her no matter what. The chatter and laughter greet them as they pour from the drain pipe onto the docks. The ship is crowded, but Mal can see the flow of blue waves and she can make out the sound of Evie’s raspy, pained voice. Mal feels like she can’t breathe; all she sees is the love of her life wrapped with rope and hands desperately tugging at the rope behind her back. That last shred of goodness, the last token of what she has worked to be, fades away and she can feel the way her eyes spark as a string of electricity runs through her. With a growl, Mal wraps a hand around the railing and glides underneath until she is standing a few feet away from Uma and watching the way she cackles as she looks to Harry who keeps a strong grip on Evie. She knows how Harry works, she knows about the darkness that fills his entire being, and she knows he’ll barely blink if this fight goes south and he is forced to rid himself of their hostage.

 

“Let her go.” Mal snaps.

 

Uma tilts her head, “It’s almost adorable how you think you can actually tell me what to do, that island must’ve fried your brain.”

 

“I won’t tell you again, Uma.” Mal snarls, and she smirks when Uma curls away at her tone. “Let her go and the book is yours. If you don’t, I’ll throw it in the ocean and we’ll both be fucked.”

 

“She’s weakened you.” Uma hums, and Gil smirks as he hangs off her shoulders. “My how the mighty has fallen. How did you do it, Mal? The beloved princess parted her legs so fast and for a good for nothing villain nonetheless.”

 

“Watch your mouth.” Jay orders.

 

Harry steps forward threateningly, “Watch _your_ mouth, pretty boy. Or should I be telling you to watch your little boyfriend’s? Lucifer knows that mouth gets around. Isn’t that right, Mal?”

 

Jay lunges and Mal is quick to catch the brunt of his weight against her back as she stumbles and glowers at the pair, “Give her to me.”

 

“Pushy, pushy.” Uma chuckles as she swings her sword towards Evie. “If you want your little blueberry back then show me the book.”

 

“It’s right here.” Mal snaps as she holds it up, and her grasp tightens ever so slightly when she sees the way Uma’s face brightens. “Trade. Walk Evie over here and the book is yours.”

 

Uma hisses as she raises her sword, “You don’t get to make orders here, Mal. This is _my_ turf, and I won’t let you tell my crew what to do.”

 

“Do you want this?” Mal asks as she holds the spellbook up.

 

“Bring her here.” Uma orders.

 

Harry sighs as he cuts Evie free and begins to lead her towards the group, “Fine. You promised me a bit of fun with the princess.”

 

“Next time.” Uma chuckles.

 

Mal feels her breath catch as Evie is pushed to her knees in front of Uma, “What happened to her face? Did you…?”

 

“She’s in one piece.” Uma grunts as she jabs the tip of her sword against Evie’s back, and Mal’s lip curls at the sight. “Give me the book and the princess is all yours.”

 

Mal looks at Evie, looks into those eyes that hold her captive. After a moment, Mal simply tosses the book in front of Uma before a boot knocks into Evie’s back and Mal rushes forward to catch her. As soon as she has her girlfriend in her arms, Mal presses kisses along her face as she takes in her split lip and bruised eye. Carefully, Mal helps her stand and Jay rushes forward to cut her free before Ben scoops her off her feet and spins her around. A few feet away, Uma frantically flips through the spell book and begins to chant, and her look of excitement fades as she glances up and notices the clouds that linger overhead, and the way the barrier seems to engulf them.

 

“It didn’t work!” Uma exclaims.

 

Mal turns to watch as Ben pushes Evie behind him as they begin to move away, “We’re on the Isle, magic isn’t allowed here.”

 

“You said it did!” Uma growls as she pulls her sword free.

 

“It only works outside of the barrier, I told you that when we were seven to _scare_ you.” Mal snorts, and she can see the way Uma swells with rage. “Once again, I fooled you. You should just stop trying, shrimpy. You’ll never learn.”

 

“Kill them!”

 

The roar Uma releases causes Mal to go stock still for only a moment before her defenses rise as the herd of pirates charge towards them. Everything turns into a blur as they fight, and Mal can barely keep an eye on Evie as she glides a sword through a man’s stomach before she kicks him back and steps over his body. Around her, she sees her friends fighting ruthlessly as they throw the pirates in the water while Ben and Harry trade blows. Green eye go bright as she sees Uma approaching, and neither look away as they meet and immediately begin to take out their anger; their feud builds and Mal uses her exhaustion and anger with every hit as she kicks hard against Uma’s stomach.

 

“You took the wrong princess.” Mal hisses.

 

Uma cackles as she lifts her sword to block Mal’s oncoming blow, “Oh, but it was so fun watching you _squirm_. Knowing that I had the one thing that matters to you? It was too good to be true.”

 

“And yet…” Mal spins and manages to knock Uma’s sword from her. “Yet I have her back and you have _nothing_. You never will, you deserve to rot here.”

 

A man rushes her and Mal hates the amusement she sees on Uma’s face, it isn’t the look of defeat that Mal expected to see. Uma disappears and Mal barely has time to register it before a sword collides with her own. She can barely keep up with the blows she is delivered, and then she hears a familiar cry of pain and her attention gives way. The fury that burns through her causes her to clench her jaw before she knees her attacker in the groin and easily leaps over him as she glides beneath a strong arm and towards Evie. Her girlfriend is fierce with her own sword, and Mal wishes she could take a moment to admire it but all she can do is kick the back of a man’s knee before she elbows him in the face as he drops. Mal breathes out sharply as she finally gets a moment with Evie, and she is quick to rest their foreheads together as her eyes flutter close.

 

“After this, we’re going home.” Mal whispers, and Evie whimpers softly at her words. “I love you, Evie. Let’s get out of here.”

 

Evie grins as she presses a kiss to her lips, “I love you, too. Now, lead the way.”

 

Once again, the two dive right into the mess of swords and yelling. Mal smiles as she feels Evie beside her, and both of them take out each pirate with ease. But as soon as Mal is distracted, the moment she doesn’t have Evie in her line of sight, Uma sweeps in and starts after Evie with as much strength as she can muster. Evie grunts at the effort of defending herself, but Uma keeps going until she has Evie backed against the ledge and she presses their swords together and bends Evie’s arm back as she smirks at her. Evie sees something in those dark eyes, something more than someone trying to seek revenge for being left to rot on the Isle; she sees someone who wants to destroy as many worlds as she can.

 

“I’m not going to kill you.” Uma smirks.

 

Evie struggles with a hiss, “Why?”

 

“Because I need you.” Uma replies with a pout.

 

“For what?” Evie snaps.

 

“You’ll be seeing soon, princess.” Uma growls as she fists the front of Evie’s t-shirt and pulls her into a violent kiss.

 

“Don’t touch her!” Mal snarls.

 

As soon as she has Evie behind her, Mal doesn’t bother to look back and the puzzlement sets in when Uma cackles and stops her hoard from attacking. Mal glares at Uma before she turns to push Evie towards the drainpipe, and the relief that floods her once she is in the limo causes her to go breathless. For a moment, all she can do is try to make sense of the last day and a half, and she can barely make out the sound of Ben checking on Evie as they shoot through the barrier and onto the golden path back to safety. Finally, Mal pulls her eyes open and looks adoringly at Evie as she reaches for her hand, and she furrows her brow as Evie immediately recoils from the touch.

 

“E…” Mal breathes out. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

 

Evie looks to her and Mal goes breathless as she watches soft eyes turn cold, "Stay away from me, Mal. You and I are done.”

  
Mal has been broken before, but that had mostly included bones; she never thought for a second that a broken heart could hurt any worse than that. But here she was, proving herself wrong again.


	4. disappear (when you come back, everything is better)

“How could you allow this?”

 

Ben ducks his head, “I’m sorry.”

 

“Your sister could have been _killed_ , Benjamin. You should’ve reported her kidnapping the moment it happened.” Adam snarls as he paces through Ben’s office. “Have you seen the state of your mother? She is beside herself!”

 

“I know I messed up, but nobody was thinking rationally. All we wanted was to get Evie back, coming back here would’ve gotten her killed straight away.” Ben explains in a frantic tone. “We did what we thought was best.”

 

“I think sometimes you forget that you are a child, Ben. Both you and your sister are, and so are your friends.” Adam snaps, but his tone softens as he looks to his son. “I had no idea either one of you were missing.”

 

Ben cringes slightly, “We snuck a limo out.”

 

“I suppose our security should be heightened then. The fact that my kids can come and go freely from that place is terrifying.” Adam admits as he removes his glasses and pinches the bridge of his nose. “Did the Evil Queen catch word of Evie being there?”

 

“No sir. Not that we know of.” Ben assures him.

 

Adam heaves a breath as he returns his glasses to his face, “That’s good.”

 

“Boys?” Belle calls as she knocks softly on the door before she pokes her head in and looks between the two of them. “Is it safe to come in?”

 

“Of course, honey.” Adam nods. “Where’s Evie?”

 

“She’s being attended to, they’re looking over her injuries.” Belle whispers, and Ben flinches at the sadness in her voice. “Her facial marks will heal, but they’re afraid her wrists have too much damage done, they’ll most likely scar.”

 

Ben swallows hard before he stands from his desk and slams his hands down on the wood, “I should return to the Isle and have those _pirates_ punished for what they did.”

 

“You will do no such thing.” Belle scolds as she flashes her son a look that silences him. “Neither you or your sister is to set foot on the Isle again, the punishment for those involved will be left to the lawmakers in Neverland.”

 

“But I’m the king!” Ben snarls.

 

“And you made a poor decision that put you, your sister, and your friends in danger.” Belle replies, and she holds up a hand as Ben begins to protest. “I am still your mother, Benjamin. I will step in when I believe you’re not thinking correctly, and right now is one of those times.”

 

Ben scowls but drops to his seat, “I’m sorry.”

 

“We’ll work through this.” Belle soothes as she presses herself to Adam’s side. “Would you like to explain Evie’s attitude towards Mal?”

 

“I don’t know.” Ben confesses as his brow folds. “We got off the island, and the second we made it on the bridge she broke it off with her. I...the whole point of going was to get Mal back, I don’t know what’s going on in Evie’s head.”

 

“Whatever it is, I’m sure it’ll work itself out.” Adam nods as he looks down at Belle with adoration in his gaze. “True love always prevails.”

 

-

 

_“You look gorgeous.”_

 

_Evie turns and smiles at Mal, “Hi.”_

 

_“Hi.” Mal greets with a soft expression. “What are you doing?”_

 

_“I was just trying on the dress my mom’s designer made me.” Evie explains as she grabs a hold of the material before she steps off the small platform she is on. “What do you think?”_

 

_Mal closes the distance between them as her gaze sweeps freely over the snug blue gown, “I think that I am dating the most beautiful girl in this kingdom, and I’m proud I get to be on your arm.”_

 

_“I love you.” Evie whispers with awe in her voice._

 

_“I love you, too.”_

 

Evie squirms desperately in her sleep.

 

_“You forgot!”_

 

_“I didn’t forget, Evie. I just was swamped with homework. I meant to text you.” Mal assures her as she runs a hand through her messy hair. “I’ll make it up to your parents, alright?”_

 

_Evie shakes her head, “I needed you.”_

 

_“Baby, I know.” Mal sighs, and she can see Evie soften at the use of the pet name. “I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t mean to make it seem like I forgot, I didn’t. The only thing I forgot to do was text you.”_

 

_“Okay.” Evie pouts._

 

_Mal laughs softly as she reaches out to grab Evie’s hand before she pulls her forward, “Stop with the pout. It doesn’t work.”_

 

_“Ha.” Evie snorts as she rests her hands on Mal’s biceps before she ducks her head to knock their noses together. “The pout totally works.”_

 

_“It only works because I love you.” Mal shrugs._

 

_“Good enough for me.”_

 

A moan leaves her as she frantically twists in her bed.

 

_“Take a bite.”_

 

_“I don’t wanna.”_

 

_“It’s good!”_

 

_“You said that about mango, and that stuff is absolutely disgusting.” Mal scoffs as she glares at the melting object in front of her. “Why would I want frozen cream?”_

 

_“Babe, it’s so good.” Evie giggles as she licks up the side of the ice cream cone. “I promise that you’ll like it, they have chocolate and strawberry too.”_

 

_Mal perks up slightly, “Can I get both?”_

 

_“Try it first.” Evie orders._

 

_“Fine.” Mal grumbles as she accepts the cone, and her nose twists in disgust as the sticky mess runs onto her hand. “Gross.”_

 

_“Try it!” Evie orders, and her eyes go wide as Mal takes a gigantic bite. “Wait! No, not that…”_

 

_“Ow!” Mal exclaims as she drops the cone, and it splatters messily on the parlor floor while her hands cup her head. “What the fuck, Evie?”_

 

_“Brain freeze, babe. Sorry.” Evie grins as she steps over the mess before she presses a sweet kiss to Mal’s lips. “You okay?”_

 

_“Buy me ice cream and I’ll be fine.” Mal declares as she drops her hands._

 

_Evie beams as she drops another sticky kiss to Mal’s lips, “One ice cream cone coming right up for my girl!”_

 

“Mal?” Evie whispers as she squirms.

 

Audrey sits up with a frown, “Evie? You okay?”

 

_“Do you believe in love?”_

 

_“I didn’t. But I do now.”_

 

_“What about forever?”_

 

_“Yeah. Yeah, I believe in forever.”_

 

_Evie glances down and frowns as she watches the eyes in front of her flash from dark brown eyes to familiar green. And then, after one last twist, Evie smiles softly as she stares down at the girl resting safely in her arms._

 

_“I love you.”_

 

_Evie sighs happily, “I love you, Uma.”_

 

_“You’re mine. Forever.”_

 

_The words settle, and a sudden pain rocks through her entire body and it takes her a moment to realize that Uma has her heart in her hands and is slowly crumbling it._

 

Evie sits up with sweat covering her body and she can’t help the sob that escapes her as she presses a protective hand to her chest. She can hear Audrey speaking to her, but she pushes it away as she throws her covers off and rushes into the bathroom. Her head pounds as memories swirl through her, and she tries to make sense of why she is dreaming of purple hair and green eyes. And she can’t understand why brown eyes replace those memories. After a moment, Evie looks into the mirror and feels an ache in her chest; she has to fix this, she has to find that piece of her that is missing.

 

-

 

Mal lays on her bed and twists her ring around her finger, and all she can think about is the day that Evie gave her the ring. She expects for Evie to come for it, but it’s been three days and the most she has seen of Evie has been a brief glimpse on campus. No one really talks about it, but they all know. They know the power couple, the couple that never should’ve been, has parted ways; she hears the whispers in the halls, feels the stares when she sits down to eat, and she knows that they frantically gesture to her when she walks through the halls. Mal feels lost, broken. It takes her losing Evie for good for her to realize how amazing she had it, how wonderful her life was. A sigh escapes as she draws her finger to her lips and presses a small kiss to the ring just as Evie does every time they see each other.

 

“Mal?”

 

Mal lifts her head as her dorm room opens and Carlos pokes his head in, “What do you want?”

 

“Why are you still in bed?” Carlos demands as he spills into the room with his hair tamed and wearing an outfit clearly designed by Evie. “We have to be at the car soon so we can leave.”

 

“Why the fuck would I go?” Mal laughs, but the sound is bitter and sad. “If you didn’t hear, I lost my princess. My happy ending up and left me, so the least I see of her is the better.”

 

“Mal, Evie loves you…”

 

“Does she? _Did_ she?” Mal demands as she looks to him with desperation in her eyes. “I’ve tried everything to try and get her to talk, but she looks at me like I’m crazy. She looks at me like...like she never loved me.”

 

“She went through a lot on the Isle.” Carlos reminds her. “She’s bound to be a little messed up right now, she probably just needs space.”

 

“Yet another reason not to go.” Mal scoffs.

 

“I just think she needs to see you.” Carlos shrugs, and he immediately holds up a gloved hand as Mal goes to speak. “I don’t mean in passing. I mean, you need to get your ass out of bed and into that dress she made you. You need to look her in the eye and tell her how you feel.”

 

“I love her.” Mal whispers as she blinks frantically in an attempt to hold in her tears. “How am I supposed to go tonight and act like everything is fine? She broke up with me, I shouldn’t go.”

 

“Mal, tonight is the night you get her back!” Carlos exclaims with wide eyes. “You have to fight for her, that’s all she wants. She’s scared, she just lived through a traumatic thing and she just needs to know that you’re there for her.”

 

Mal hesitates, “You think?”

 

“I know.” Carlos replies with a nod.

 

“You’re right.” Mal scoffs after a moment, and Carlos beams excitedly as green eyes meet his. “I’m gonna go get my girl back.”

 

“Let’s do this!”

 

-

 

“Where is she?” Belle demands.

 

“I don’t know.” Ben admits with a cringe.

 

“Benjamin, we were able to look past the mistake you made by bringing your sister to the Isle,” Adam begins in a strong tone. “But if something else has happened to your sister…”

 

“Dad, I…”

 

“I apologize for being late.”

 

Belle breathes out a sigh of relief as her daughter rushes towards them in a beautiful blue gown, “We were getting concerned.”

 

“I was finishing a last minute gown.” Evie explains with a slight flush as she looks to her brother with a soft smile. “You look dashing.”

 

“And you look beautiful.” Ben grins. “Where’s Mal?”

 

“I assume she’s with the others on the deck.” Evie shrugs as she runs her hands over the front of her dress. “Why?”

 

“She’ll need to be introduced as…”

 

“Show time!”

 

Ben frowns as he watches Evie simply slip away from him and towards the staircase. He hears them introduce his parents before Audrey is introduced as his lady and he can’t help but swell with pride. After a moment, Evie is called forward and Ben peeks around the side to watch as his sister elegantly descends the stairs and turns to look back up to where Ben stands. Once again, the confusion settles in as he sees Mal nudging her way through the crowd until she can finally reach Evie; as soon as he sees the look on Evie’s face, Ben makes himself known and barely pays any mind to the reaction he receives as he glides effortlessly down the stairs and reaches his sister.

 

“Evie…”

 

“Excuse me, Ben.” Evie grins as she shrugs off both Mal and Ben’s touch. “Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to introduce my lady. My heart has never been fuller, and my life has never been happier. I am so proud to have her standing at my side.”

 

Ben breathes a sigh of relief.

 

“Uma, will you join us?”

 

The relief goes as quickly as it comes as he follows Evie’s line of sight and his jaw drops as he sees Uma appear at the top of the stairs. Her dress is beautiful, and Ben suddenly understands what Evie had been working on. The entire deck goes quiet as Uma slowly makes her way down the stairs and Evie moves forward to offer her hand. Beside him, Mal shudders out a breath and he throws a glance to his parents who looks close to fainting. Evie looks beyond smitten as she leads Uma across the floor and stands in the middle so she can address the looks of horror and puzzlement.

 

“Evie?” Ben begins. “Did you...go back for her?”

 

Evie blinks as she looks to her brother, “I did.”

 

“Why?” Carlos demands.

 

“I know it seems so sudden,” Evie giggles as she raises Uma’s hand to her lips and brushes a kiss over her knuckles. “I just realized that...I realized that she and I…”

 

Uma clears her throat as Evie pauses and furrows her brow, “You just realized what we’re meant to be, right? That’s what you were saying?”

 

“Yeah. Yes.” Evie nods as she looks to the crowd of people that watch her. “Uma is the one I’m with, therefore I want her to be sworn onto the court as the director of the Isle. And her first proclamation will be to lower the barrier.”

 

A gasp rocks through the crowd, and Mal scowls in confusion. She doesn’t understand why Evie is doing this, she doesn’t understand how anything changed. Evie frowns as she looks to her brother, and Ben simply shakes his head as he pushes Audrey to stand behind him. He doesn’t know what is going on with his sister, but he knows something is off; Evie would never willingly give up Mal, and especially not for someone who causes as much pain as Uma. His head darts to Mal, and he can see her trying to work out exactly what is happening, it seems like everyone on the deck is trying to make sense of the princess standing before them.

 

“Well?” Evie demands.

 

Ben frowns, “I refuse to allow her on my court.”

 

“She is being sworn in as my lady!” Evie snarls as her eyes flash, and Uma brightens as she looks at her with amazement on her face. “You may be the king, but I have my rights to the line as well. You _will_ swear her in.”

 

“I won’t.” Ben replies in a soft voice.

 

“I will…”

 

“Babe, it’s okay.” Uma soothes, and Evie immediately settles as she turns her attention to the girl beside her. “We’ll just have to earn the trust of the kingdom, we have time.”

 

Evie nods as Uma arches her head up, “We have time.”

 

Evie feels _wrong_ as her lips meet Uma’s. The touch is rough, and her lungs burn as her mouth is claimed. After a moment, Uma pulls away and Evie blinks in shock as she looks towards Mal who stares on with a dropped jaw and wide eyes. She isn’t sure why it pains her so much for Mal to look at her like that, but all she knows is that it feels like a bullet straight to the chest. Hands tighten on her waist and she gasps in pain as she turns to look back at Uma, and one look in her eyes makes whatever she felt for Mal fade away. One look into those sinister eyes, and Evie can’t help but flash a goofy grin as she kisses Uma softly on the forehead.

 

“Why are you doing this?” Mal hisses.

 

Evie looks to her with a blank expression, “Excuse me?”

 

“She kidnapped you, Evie. She allowed her supposed crew to _hit_ you.” Mal points out as she blinks away her tears. “So, why are you with her? What changed? What happened to us? To how you felt about me?”

 

Uma scowls, “Now isn’t the time for this. I was about to be sworn onto…”

 

“How I felt about you?” Evie cuts in as her brow furrows and she looks down at Uma. “What are you talking about?”

 

“Evie, we’ve been together for a year!” Mal exclaims, and the desperation slowly seeps into her tone. “We have been through everything together, we’re supposed to be going to History Island. We’re supposed to spend a week in Olympus.”

 

“How did you know about that?” Evie demands as she slowly pulls away from Uma. “I planned that trip for Uma. No one knows.”

 

“You planned that trip for _me_. For us.” Mal replies as she shakes her head. “You hid the ship tickets in your drawer, right under your collection of your favorite push pins.”

 

Evie shakes her head in confusion, “How…?”

 

“E, how do you not remember?”

 

Jay watches the exchange, and he can see the way everything works through Evie’s head. She looks lost, like all of this is news to her, and suddenly it all makes sense. He can’t help but kick himself for not seeing it, for not realizing what was happening to his best friend. The wave of anger that washes over him causes his fists to clench as he takes a threatening step towards Uma only to change his mind and instead glide to Mal’s side. He hates how broken she looks, Mal looks as if her entire world has been ripped from her hands and he supposes in some ways it has.

 

“You spelled her.” Jay growls.

 

Uma blinks in mock surprise, “What are you talking about?”

 

“Mal, it’s a _spell_.” Jay assures her as she catches the girl’s arm. “Evie loves you, that wouldn’t just change overnight.”

 

“But…” Mal trails off as she looks to Evie with wonder in her eyes. “Evie, be honest with me, do you love me?”

 

Evie seems to struggle as she tilts her head and looks to Uma for a moment, “No.”

 

“You don’t love me?” Mal demands as she takes a step closer to the princess. “Do you remember what it felt like to love me?”

 

“No.” Evie whispers.

 

“You don’t remember how we used to make blanket forts and you’d bring me chocolate? You don’t remember the time you ate an ice cream too fast and you convinced me the only way to warm you up was to kiss you?” Mal asks, and Evie simply shakes her head. “You don’t remember what it feels like to hold me? To kiss me?”

 

“I...I don’t _remember_ , okay?” Evie snaps.

 

Mal pauses and looks up at her girlfriend with a soft expression, “I’m sorry for this, E.”

 

“What are you…”

 

Evie doesn’t get a chance to respond before a hand curls around the back of her neck and pulls her down. Just like that, the memories flood her and the love flows freely through her bloodstream. And then the pain sets in. A soft cry leaves her as she curls her fingers into the material of the purple gown and draws her closer. Eventually, Mal pulls away and Evie feels breathless as she stares into green orbs that plead with her, that beg her to just remember her love. And Evie does, she remembers _everything_. With a whimper, she reaches for Mal again and rests their foreheads together.

 

“What do you remember now?” Mal breathes out.

 

“I love you.” Evie murmurs. “I love _you_.”

 

“No! No! No!”

 

Evie tucks herself against Mal as she hears Uma’s screams and Mal twists her arms around her, “I want her taken into custody. Now.”

 

Uma begins to back away with a frantic expression as she steps closer to the edge of the boat, “I just wanted a _chance_. I wanted the happiness that Mal got, I deserved her chance!”

 

“You can’t change the events that have taken place, dear.” Belle sighs, but the anger in her words slowly seep into her tone. “You will be taken to Neverland and your punishment will be dealt to you, along with your crew back on the Isle.”

 

“I won’t be chained up!” Uma hisses. “I refuse.”

 

Uma screams high and wild, and Evie gasps as she turns her face into the crook of Mal’s neck while Uma dives off the boat and into the cold waters. Around them, everyone rushes forward to look over the side of the boat only to stumble back as a tentacle wraps itself around the railing of the boat and sends everyone toppling forward. Slowly, Uma becomes who her mother once was and makes herself known as she looks down at them with revenge clear in her eyes. Mal gaps in shock as she sees Uma’s smirk, and she is quick to move herself in front of Evie as she curls her hands around her hips. With a cackle, Uma swipes her tentacles out in a silent threat and watches as people trip over themselves to avoid them.

 

“Get back!” Adam orders as he shoves kids backwards. “Stay away from the railing!”

 

“You will all pay for taking what is mine!” Uma yells as she sweeps a tentacle through the air, and Carlos releases a cry of horror as he finds himself lifted from the ground. “I have every right to a spot on the court, I have every right to be _here!_ Time and time again everyone has chosen _her_ , but not anymore. Never again.”

 

Jay shrugs off hands that grapple for him as he slips towards the railing, “Uma, please! Please let him go! He has nothing to do with this!”

 

“Oh, you’re so right.” Uma coos, and once again she darts a tentacle forward and Mal tries to hold onto Evie as she is once again taken from her. “But this one, this one means the world to her.”

 

“Evie!” Ben calls as his parents hold him back, but Mal can see the rage that builds in his eyes. “You don’t have to do this!”

 

“But I do. It’s always been a fight between Mal and I, _always._ But now I know, now I know exactly what it takes to break her.” Uma snickers as she makes a show of swinging Evie. “True love, it works every time.”

 

Mal starts forward with glowing green eyes, “Let them go!”

 

“Pick one.” Uma sings as she twists easily through the water. “Choose the one that means more to you, Mal. Is it your little lapdog or the girl who holds your heart?”

 

Mal holds onto the railing and shakes with anger as she watches Uma, “Let them _go_!”

 

“That wasn’t an option. Let me pick for you.” Uma grins, and Mal watches in horror as Evie is dropped into the water before Carlos joins her. “You had a choice, remember that!”

 

“Carlos!”

 

Mal gasps as Jay shoulders past her and dives into the water without a second thought. As she stands there and takes in the horror show, she can feel that rage bubbling to the surface until she was completely breathless. A gasp leaves her as she feels her shoulder blades slowly twisting before her entire mind goes blank and a purple cloud surrounds her. Once the smoke clears, the occupants of the deck barely have time to duck before a purple dragon bursts into the air and releases a roar that shakes the entire boat. Without so much as a struggle, Mal glides through the air and lowers herself to spit fire at Uma only to be met with a crash of a wave. Below them, Carlos struggles as he fights his way towards Evie who is swallowed by a wave and pops back up with a sob.

 

“Evie!” Carlos cries. “Give me your hand!”

 

Evie twists herself towards him, and he reaches desperately for her hand only for a line of fire to separate them. Just as Carlos starts forward, he feels arms wrap protectively around him and Jay is quick to scoop him up as he turns to swim back towards the boat. Carlos tries to fight him, tries to struggle his way free, but Jay has one target in mind and that is the waiting ladder nearby. As soon as he reaches it, he forces Carlos to safety and both of them flop on the deck before they’re surrounded and Jay pulls him into his lap.

 

“Evie!” Belle exclaims. “Where is Evie?”

 

Carlos coughs and looks to the queen, “I tried…”

 

Beyond them, the fight between Uma and Mal continues while Evie struggles to stay afloat. With every movement of her arms, her body burns with protest and she coughs out a mouthful of water as another wave crashes over her. Evie remembers briefly reading about what happens when you drown, about how there comes a point when your body just gives up. She remembers reading how it burns, how your lungs and stomach ache. She remembers reading it all, and she can slowly feel all the signs of that horror sweeping over her. With a desperate gasp, Evie tries to hold onto that last delicious taste of air before Uma drops a tentacle and sends a wall of water to engulf her. As she fades, Evie can’t help but thankful that she at least got to tell Mal she loved her one last time.

 

“I see her!” Doug shrieks.

 

Audrey hurries forward and latches onto a hold of Ben’s jacket, “There! She’s right there!”

 

Ben watches his sister, and he sees the way her body seems to just bounce along with the water; he sees no fighting, no movements. Suddenly, the past week falls onto his shoulders and Ben can feel the railing bend under his tight grasp as he tilts his head back and allows a deep roar to tear from his throat. With a snarl, Ben pulls away from Audrey and tosses his crown to Chad before he takes off in a quick sprint and dives into the water. Mal’s fire burns over him and Uma’s waves crash into his sides, but Ben doesn’t stop swimming until he manages to get to his sister and pull her into his protective embrace. This time his roar is full of grief and outrage as Evie stays limp in his arms, and he manages to quickly catch the attention of both villains.

 

“You have to stop!” Ben pleads as he cradles Evie to his chest. “This fighting, this rivalry, it isn’t the answer! All its done is cause misery, and a sadness that nobody should ever be dealt.”

 

Uma throws her head back with a laugh, “Don’t you see, Ben? I finally won. Look at what you’ve done to your princess, Mal.”

 

Ben sees the fury that sparks in the dragon’s eyes as she looks to Evie, “End this. End all of it. We have to save her.”

 

Mal huffs her response and darts towards Uma again, but this time she holds nothing back. Finally, the fire tears through Uma’s side and the sea witch cries out in pain as she clutches onto the wound. Mal advances again and again until Uma begins to retreat, until she seemingly sinks back into the ocean. No one seems to care, no one seems to _notice_ , they’re too busy helping Ben pull Evie up from the ladder and Adam releases a sob as he pulls his daughter into his arms and rushes to gently set her down. With shaking hands, Lonnie steps in and twists her fingers together before she begins to quickly pump at Evie’s chest.

 

“Come on, Evie.” Lonnie pleads as she tilts Evie’s chin back and pinches her nose before she breathes air into her. “Wake up!”

 

The silence is almost painful as everyone surrounds their princess, and Lonnie is near hysterics as she continues to breathe into Evie’s mouth. Finally, they hear it, the small beginnings of a cough. Lonnie releases a gasp as she frantically feels for Evie’s pulse and a breath leaves her at the steady thrum beneath her fingertips. Slowly, Evie opens her hazy eyes and Lonnie is quick to help her sit up before Evie is coughing up mouthfuls of salt water. Each cough is raspier than the last, and Evie is sobbing as she reaches for anything to grasp onto, and she soon finds her mother’s hand offered to her. Air seems like such a luxury as she tries to pull in as much as she can, and she can see her mother’s lips moving but all she hears is a piercing ring that seems almost never ending.

 

“M-Mommy?”

 

“I’m here, baby.”

 

The voice seems like it’s a million miles away, but she can smell the hint of vanilla and old books. Somehow, no matter what, her mother always smells like a book; it reminds Evie of when she was young, when she wore footie pajamas and a plastic crown and sucked her thumb while reading books with Belle in her room. Evie clings to the memory, and clings to her mother. A sob rips through her and all she wants is to disappear, she feels _broken._ Gasps catch her attention and Evie pulls back from her mother slowly so she can look at where everyone’s attention has gone. Instantly, a whimper leaves her as she is faced with a purple dragon that edges towards her and puffs out a breath that rustles her damp hair.

 

Evie meets the green eyes of the dragon and tenses because she sees her everything staring back at her. She sees late nights in the library with cookies and headaches. She sees Saturdays spent lying in the grass and staring up at the clouds. She sees dates, tears, laughter, and so many smiles. In those eyes, she sees her entire future. Evie struggles to stand, and Jay is quick to step forward to help her up while Adam carefully lifts Belle up. With Jay’s hand clasped tightly in her own and his strong arm around her waist, Evie barely stumbles as she crosses the boat and pauses before the dragon.

 

Evie slides a shaking hand out to slowly skim along the strong jaw of the beast, “Mal?”

 

Purple mist pops around her and she shies away from it, and then hands are cradling her face and a body is pressed to her. Evie feels her strength melt away as the form of the dragon is replaced with her girlfriend, and she folds easily into Mal’s arms. Somewhere far in the ocean, Evie knows Uma is lurking and that causes her to scoot closer to Mal as she wraps her arms around her shoulders and releases a shuddery breath. She is _safe._ The boat is guarded, her family and friends are alive, and her girlfriend is in her arms...she’s okay. With that, Evie gives into the exhaustion that wraps around her and allows the darkness to swallow her.

 

-

 

_“I’m gonna grow this big, Daddy!”_

 

 _Adam laughs_ _as_ _his daughter stretches onto the tips of her toes and holds her hand up, “That tall, huh? Are you sure you want to be that tall?”_

 

_“Uh huh. Wanna know why?” The five-year-old huffs as she drops back onto her heels and presses her hands to her hip. “That way Benny can’t call me tiny anymore. I’m gonna be super tall.”_

 

_“Just as long as you don’t get too tall,” Adam grins before he scoops Evie up and spins her around till she squeals. “That way I can still twirl my littlest princess around.”_

 

_Evie simply giggles and burrows into his neck; Adam smiles as he holds his daughter close and thanks the stars he has her._

 

A parent’s worst nightmare is knowing their child is in danger or in pain. And here Adam sits with that nightmare coming true. Evie is asleep in her bed, and she’s safe but it isn’t enough. His daughter has been through hell and he knows she isn’t completely back from it yet. There is still so much that she’ll have to endure and it pains him. A sigh leaves him as he lingers in her bedroom door and watches as she shifts in her sleep and scoots closer to Mal who has a protective arm around her. Adam startles as he feels a hand on his waist, and he lifts his arm so Belle can slip beneath it and he turns his head to press a kiss to her hair.

 

“How is she?” Belle whispers.

 

“The doctor says she’ll be okay, she’ll need to be bedridden for a few days. He says she should be okay to return to her dorm by next Tuesday.” Adam replies. “I don’t know if I can do that, let her out of my sight.”

 

Belle hums and tilts her head, “When did our kids grow up? How did we miss it?”

 

_“But...I don’t wanna go…”_

 

_“Yeah! Me neither!”_

 

_Belle squats down in front of Ben and Evie, “You have to go to school, you’re going to learn and become smarter than you already are.”_

 

_“But you’re not gonna be there, Mommy.” Evie sniffles as she darts forward to curl her arms around Belle’s neck. “I don’t wanna go if you’re not gonna be there too.”_

 

_“Oh, sweetie,” Belle sighs as she stands and allows Evie to wrap herself around her waist while Ben curls around her leg. “You two are going to be okay, it’s going to be fun.”_

 

_“Nuh uh.” Ben protests with a pout._

 

_“Stay, Mommy?” Evie pleads._

 

_“I can’t go with you, baby. You and your brother are going to have a great time, and at the end of the day the limo will pick you up and bring you right back to me.” Belle assures them with a soft smile._

 

_Evie pulls back with fat tears rolling down her chubby cheeks, “Promise?”_

 

_“Yeah! Promise?”_

 

_Belle looks between them with a smile, “Promise.”_

 

“I remember being so ready for them to start school. I didn’t think about how different everything would be after that.” Belle admits with tear-filled eyes. “Look at them, Adam.”

 

Adam nods as he looks around Evie's room, and he remembers how Audrey used to be the only one allowed in it. Now, her room is jam packed with her friends who refuse to leave her side. Like his wife, he wonders when his whole world changed; Ben is the  _king_ and Evie has her own fashion line. His kids aren’t his to guide anymore, they’re slowly finding their own feet in the world. And they’re finding love. He sees the way his son looks at Audrey, he sees how much love and devotion they share. Evie and Mal? They’re in entirely different league, their love story is one for those tell all books that the media loves to write. Yet, in his eyes, they’re still reaching for him and begging for a piggy back ride; to him, to Belle, they’ll always be his babies.

 

“She’ll be okay.” Adam whispers after a moment.

  
Belle presses into his side and stares at their daughter, “Will she?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Alright...this is the last chapter that will follow the movie, time to change it up my way ;)


	5. i've got issues (you've got 'em too)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I'm baaaaaack! Sorry for the long wait.

_The walkway is cold as she wanders along it, and she takes note of the fact that her feet are bare and now covered in mud. Evie can hear drunken laughter as she pushes the doors open to the familiar restaurant, and she blinks owlishly as everyone suddenly goes quiet and turns to her. For a moment, she hesitates as she tries to remind herself why she’s here; and then that reason shoves their way through a few bulky men, and Evie melts as she is met with a cold smirk and brown eyes. Uma is giddy with excitement as she approaches her, and Evie immediately leans into the touch she is offered as Uma cups her jaw and brushes a thumb slowly along the dimple of her chin; the action seems so...familiar._

 

_“Well, hello there.”_

 

_Evie shivers at Uma’s whisper, “Hi.”_

 

_“You’re quite the ways from home,” Uma notes as she scans her over, and Evie shifts self-consciously as she tugs at her nightgown. “What are you doing here, princess?”_

 

_The word triggers something inside of her, something that rears ugly and loud. For a moment, her head goes cloudy as she sees a flash of purple before it is replaced with blue. Evie sucks in a harsh breath as she squeezes her eyes shut and tries to will away the pounding in her head; something about all of this just doesn’t feel right. With a shudder of a breath, Evie slowly flutters her eyes open and looks from Uma to the gang of pirates who watch on with looks of wonder and amusement._

 

_“I...I came back for you.” Evie admits._

 

_Uma brightens at the confession, “Oh?”_

 

_“I’m in love with you, Uma.” Evie breathes out._

 

_“Yes.” Uma purrs as she twists a painful hand in blue locks until Evie hisses at the action. “Yes, you are. And Mal is going to be absolutely devastated to hear that.”_

 

“No!”

 

“Evie! Hey, you’re okay!”

 

Evie whimpers as she quickly opens her eyes and finds herself surrounded by blurry faces, “What’s going on? Where am I?”

 

“We’re home, Eves.” Ben explains as he rubs tiredly at his eyes and sits on the edge of the king sized mattress. “Don’t you remember what happened last night?”

 

“I didn’t want to.” Evie rasps as she looks up in search of green eyes, and once she finds Mal’s gaze her eyes water. “I didn’t want to kiss her, I didn’t want any of that.”

 

Mal looks at her with an expression of sadness before she turns to their friends, “Do you guys mind giving us a few minutes?”

 

“I…”

 

“Come on, babe.” Audrey whispers as she tugs at Ben’s arm until he gives in and slowly allows himself to be tugged out of the room.

 

The couple is quiet as their friends pile out of the room, and Evie slowly draws her knees to her chest as she stares straight ahead. Everything from the night before rushes back to her, and she can’t stop the tears from falling. She feels like pieces of her are slowly being chipped away and she’ll never be whole again. For the first time in a long time, she doesn’t feel safe. As she closes her eyes, Evie allows a sob to slip from her and then she feels thin arms curl around her before Mal’s soft breath is dancing along her skin, and her hair is fluttering with each sigh that her girlfriend releases as she scatters soft kisses on anything she can reach. With a soft whimper, Evie tilts her head back and captures Mal’s lips with her own.

 

A muffled groan leaves Mal as she immediately sinks into the contact, and her touch is gentle as they skim over Evie’s cheek and into the depths of her loose blue waves. For a moment, their kisses are soft and full of everything they used to be and then suddenly they are rough and quick. Evie winces as she shifts herself and straddles Mal’s waist until her girlfriend is pinned beneath her and desperately trying to match the pace of her frantic kisses. Evie reaches down and grabs one of Mal’s hands in her own and guides it to rest on her thigh, she pulls it until it rests underneath the soft silk of her nightgown. Mal pulls away as Evie begins to rock in her lap and Mal flexes her hand against Evie’s thigh as she looks up at her girlfriend and sees the red eyes and tear streaked cheeks.

 

“Eves, wait…”

 

“Please, Mal.” Evie pleads as she grabs a hold of the hand that retreats from her thigh. “I...I need this. I need _you_.”

 

“It isn’t right, Evie. Not when you’re like this. Not when you feel this...destroyed.” Mal whispers as she sits up and presses their foreheads together. “You don’t have to prove anything to me.”

 

Evie swallows hard, “Is it because I kissed Uma?”

 

“E, no. Fuck no. She has _nothing_ to do with this. I just know that this isn’t something you need.” Mal explains as she looks up at her sadly. “Baby, just _talk_ to me. I’m here, okay?”

 

“I feel like...I feel like I _cheated_ on you. I feel dirty. How can you just forgive me?” Evie demands as she shakes her head.

 

“Because you’re the girl I love.” Mal shrugs as she reaches up to curl a hand around Evie’s cheek, and her girlfriend slowly leans into the contact. “E, you would never cheat on me. You would never hurt me. You were _spelled_ , you were forced to do something you didn’t want to. Baby, you had no control over your actions.”

 

“I don’t know how to get over this, Mal.” Evie whispers as she fists the front of Mal’s shirt. “I feel like everytime I close my eyes she’s there, and I know it’s only going to get worse.”

 

Mal sighs as she pulls Evie to her, “We’re going to get you through this, I promise.”

 

“I love you, Mal.”

 

“I love you, E.”

 

Evie wishes so much that her girlfriend’s words were enough to comfort her, but they’re far from it. She’s broken, and Evie doesn’t know if she’ll ever feel whole again.

 

-

 

_“I don’t wanna.”_

 

_“Jay, come on.” Ben pleads. “She’s the best.”_

 

_Jay spits his tongue out, “She’s a girl.”_

 

_“That’s not nice.” Ben scolds as he folds his tiny arms over his chest. “She’s my sister, and my mama said I’m supposed to take care of her. So, you need to be nice to her.”_

 

_“I don’t have to do nothin’.” Jay snorts._

 

_“Anything.” A soft voice corrects. “You don’t have to do anything.”_

 

_Jay spins on his heels to call the newcomer a stupid face, but his words fumble on his tongue as he is met with a shy smile. A breath of surprise leaves him as he stares at the blue hair and calculating dark eyes, and he knows that smile. He remembers that smile. He remembers being dressed only with a cloth around his waist and being stuck in a closet with a teary eyed girl, he remembers holding her hand. He remembers her mother scolding her for holding his hands. And by the look on her face, she remembers him too._

 

_“Evie?” Jay whispers._

 

_Evie perks up, “Jay?”_

 

_“You’re a princess!” Jay exclaims as he points excitedly to her small tiara._

 

_“And you’re a prince.” Evie beams, and she can’t help but squeal in happiness. “Mommy said you and your daddy were coming over to talk to my daddy about official business.”_

 

_“Yup.” Jay puffs out his chest. “We’re from way up, up, up! It’s called Oly...um…”_

 

_“Olympus.” Evie chirps, and Jay settles with a firm nod. “Daddy showed me a map of the whole entire kingdom, and he showed me where all the important people live.”_

 

_“Like me?” Jay asks._

 

_“Yup.”_

 

 _Ben pouts, “Hey, Evie, Jay is_ **_my_ ** _best friend.”_

 

_“Oh.” Evie whispers as she drops her head._

 

_Jay frowns and quickly scoots to her, “Nope. Evie is my best friend. You can have Chad, he has a cool shoe collection.”_

 

_“But he’s mean.” Ben huffs._

 

_“Sorry, Ben.” Jay shrugs. “Evie is my best friend.”_

 

_Evie smiles brightly as she curls herself around one of his arms, “Does that mean you’ll come have a tea party with me?”_

 

_“Jay won’t wear a tutu.” Ben warns._

 

_“Will too.” Jay snaps back, and Ben recoils as Jay spits his tongue out at him. “Come on, Evie. I want three cookies.”_

 

_“Only if you say please.” Evie giggles._

 

_The two disappear into the gardens and Ben throws his arms up, “I just wanted him to be_ _**nice.** Now I don’t have a best friend or a sister.” _

 

“Nice sketch.”

 

Evie startles as Jay walks into the room with his hands buried in his pockets, “I thought everyone was going back to campus…”

 

“We are. I just wanted to say goodbye.” Jay replies with a small shrug as he moves to sit on the edge of her bed. “I know you’re going to be cooped up here for a few days, and it’s going to be weird not seeing you around.”

 

“I’ll only be here for four days, and then I’ll be back on my normal schedule.” Evie frowns as she reaches out to set her sketchbook aside before she winces at the strain in her ribs. “So, why are you really here?”

 

Jay opens his mouth and a harsh sigh escapes, “I am _so_ sorry, Eves.”

 

“For what?” Evie frowns.

 

“When Uma grabbed you and Carlos,” Jay begins, and he gives an audible swallow as his gaze drops to his lap. “She dropped you guys, and I jumped in after him. I-I saved _him._ I just...I left you out there because I was terrified of losing him.”

 

Evie hums and tilts her head before her brow furrows as Jay stays silent, “Oh. Is that it? Am I supposed to be upset about that?”

 

“Eves, you...I let you drown. You’re one of the most important people in my life, and I left you out there. How can you be so okay with this?” Jay demands as he shakes his head. “And I allowed you to be _spelled._ I knew something was up when we got back from the Isle and I ignored it.”

 

“Jay, you can sit there and play the blame game all you want but nobody besides Uma is at fault here. You can’t punish yourself for saving Carlos, I’m so proud of you for doing it.” Evie whispers as she stretches a hand out. “As for the spell? Nobody could see it, not even my parents.”

 

“I almost lost you.” Jay whimpers.

 

Evie gasps in shock as her best friend, her strong and sure best friend, breaks down in front of her. She can hear the pain in his sobs as his chest jerks with hiccups; she has never seen this side of Jay before, at least not since their first day of school. A sigh of sadness leaves her as she struggles to scoot across the mattress before she curls herself around him and tucks her head under his chin. She allows the pain of his grasp to tighten, and she squeezes her eyes shut as she reminds herself over and over that it’s Jay who has her; she’s safe, this is her best friend not a group of pirates.

 

“Jay, shh.” Evie soothes as she cuddles closer to him. “It’s okay. I’m here, and I’m safe. Please don’t punish yourself for what happened, I don’t fault you for a second for the decision you made.”

 

Jay sniffles loudly, “Everyone else does.”

 

“If anyone has a problem with it then send them my way, I won’t stand for it. You were saving your boyfriend, you were doing the right thing.” Evie assures him as she pulls back to lock their gazes for a moment. “You did the right thing.”

 

“Then why do I feel so wrong?” Jay scoffs.

 

“That is so not a question for you to be asking me right now.” Evie smirks, and her heart warms as Jay gives a watery chuckle. “Please don’t dwell on this. Move up and move on, okay?”

 

Jay nods before he gives a sympathetic smile, “Any chance you could take your own advice?”

 

“Not yet.” Evie admits.

 

“Jay, let’s go!”

 

“I’ll see you in a few days, okay? Get some sleep, Eves.” Jay orders as he kisses her head and slides from her grasp before he moves to linger in the doorway. “We’re all gonna get through this, right? This shit won’t always be with us…”

 

“For you? No.” Evie shrugs.

 

Jay furrows his brow, “And for you?”

 

“You should go, everyone is waiting.”

 

A frown of sadness colors his face as Evie ignores him in favor of reaching for her sketchbook. As he watches her, Jay can see the way her hands shake and the haunting of _something_ that hides in the depths of her eyes; for him, healing will be easy but for her? Jay isn’t so sure the pieces Evie lost will ever be found again.

 

-

 

_Belle feels her stomach turn and she can’t decide if it’s from excitement or fear. Today is the day. Today, she and Adam are going to the child’s ward of the hospital to see the children. And one of those kids, one of those innocent toddlers, is going to become her son or daughter. Part of her is terrified to allow the child around Ben, her son is too trusting and too kind. But a larger part of her knows that she’ll find that missing piece and fall in love, and that child won’t be a danger to her son at all._

 

_“Darling?”_

 

_Belle blinks in shock as she sees Adam standing outside the limo with his hand outstretched, “Oh. I must have been lost in thought.”_

 

_“You were silent the entire ride.” Adam hums, and he gives nods of greetings to people as they make their way into the hospital. “Are you sure this is something you want to do?”_

 

_“Of course, Adam. They’re children…”_

 

_“They’re the children of villians.” Adam cuts in._

 

_“That doesn’t mean they don’t deserve a chance at having a good life. I would’ve expected you to be more understanding about this.” Belle sighs as she pulls away from her husband. “I’m going to go see some of the children.”_

 

_Belle doesn’t wait for Adam, she simply wanders away and into different rooms. She meets Ruby, the daughter of the Queen of Hearts, and she sees that glimmer of hesitance. Their conversation is mostly one sided, and she isn’t surprised when she finds out that Tarzan and Jane have expressed an interest in the child. She thinks they’ll be a good fit, she seems like the strong and quiet type. She has faith in the couple that they’ll be able to help Ruby overcome the past trauma in her life._

 

_The hospital is full of crying, confused children and it breaks her heart. She slowly walks down each hallway and looks into rooms to see children screaming and curled in corners. It isn’t till she reaches the end of the hallway that she pauses and furrows her brow at the empty room. Her heels tap softly against the cool tiles of the room as she peers inside, and she stops short as she sees tiny feet peeking from beneath the bed._

 

_“Hello?” Belle sings._

 

_Belle glances over her shoulder to make sure no one is around before she squats down and peers under the bed. As soon as she sees wide brown eyes, Belle falls. She knows this feeling, she felt the same way the moment Ben was laid in her arms. A breath of surprise leaves her as she sees the scared, damp child with tears rolling down her face. She looks so afraid and all Belle wants to do is reach out and comfort her._

 

_“Hi, sweetheart.” Belle whispers._

 

_Tiny feet kick back in fear, “B-Bad!”_

 

_“No, honey, no. I’m not bad.” Belle assures her as she offers her hand to the toddler. “How about you come out from under there?”_

 

_“No.”_

 

_Belle raises an eyebrow, “Why not?”_

 

_“Bad.” The child huffs as she points to herself._

 

_“Oh, baby,” Belle sighs, and she closes her eyes as the understanding hits her. “No, baby. You’re not bad, I promise. Will you come out and see me? I want to make sure you’re okay.”_

 

_The small girl seems to consider it before she nods hesitantly and begins to slowly scoot from beneath the bed. As soon as Belle sees a shock of blue hair and those brown eyes, she knows this is her child. She knows the terrified little girl is meant to be with her. With gentle hands, Belle reaches out towards the toddler only for her to whimper as she curls into herself to hide her face. The pain that engulfs her as she sighs sadly and waits for the little girl to settle as she stares back at Belle._

 

_“Can I hold your hand?” Belle asks softly._

 

_Belle is shocked at how small the little girl is, her bones reach from beneath her skin and her stomach is bloated with obvious hunger. All she wants to do is take this little girl in her arms and hold her forever. She wants to protect her, to keep her from ever feeling any type of pain again. Finally, a small hand covers hers and she watches as fingers slowly dance over the diamonds in her bracelet._

 

_“Pretty?” Belle smiles, and the child nods. “What’s your name, beautiful girl?”_

 

_With a frown, the child points towards the wall and Belle turns her head to see a paper taped against the wall with Evie written across it in big letters. And Belle knows, she has heard that name whispered when the children were delivered, and she knows sitting in front of her is the child of the Evil Queen, the baby sister of her best friend._

 

_“Evie.” Belle grins. “That’s a pretty name.”_

 

_Evie gives a small smile, “Pretty.”_

 

_“Belle?”_

 

_The voice startles Evie, and Belle is shocked when the little girl immediately jumps into her lap. It almost pains her to hold Evie, to feel the definition of the bumps along her spine and the swell of her ribcage. With tears in her eyes, Belle glances over her shoulder to look at her husband with a frown of horror on her face but a spark of protectiveness in her bright eyes._

 

_“This is our Evie.” Belle whispers._

 

_Adam watches them for only a moment, “Our Evie.”_

 

“You have to eat, sweetheart.”

 

Evie glances to her mother, “I’m not hungry.”

 

“Try for me.” Belle pleads as she pushes to the plate full of small sandwiches, and Evie is hesitant as a shaking hand reaches out to take one. “How are you feeling today?”

 

“Tired.” Evie admits as she takes a small bite of the corner of the sandwich. “I-I fell asleep, but I only got an hour or so in before I woke up.”

 

“Have you given any thought to the suggestion your father and I made?” Belle asks as she keeps a close eye on her daughter who tenses at the question and nods. “I know it seems like a lot to ask, but we think it would be for the best.”

 

Evie bites her lip, “It’d be an awful lot of work…”

 

“Evie, it would be worth it. Your father and I would feel so much better knowing that you’re here in the castle, with us.” Belle sighs as she reaches towards Evie. “The driver will take you to and from school, and he’ll take your friends wherever you want.”

 

“I don’t want to leave campus…”

 

Belle arches an eyebrow, “Is it that or is that you don’t want to leave Mal?”

 

“Mal would be fine on her own.” Evie whispers as her head drops. “I just think being surrounded by my friends would help. Don’t take this the wrong way, but the castle gets lonely. There’s too many rooms, too many empty spaces.”

 

“Oh, sweetheart,” Belle breathes out as she reaches out to cover Evie’s hands with her own. “I wish there was a way for me to take this pain away from you. I wish there was a way to make things better.”

 

“Life doesn’t work like that.” Evie points out as she draws her hands away. “I-I’ve given some thought to the other thing that you and dad suggested, I think therapy would be a good idea.”

 

Belle brightens, “We’ll find the best in the lands.”

 

“You don’t have to go through too much trouble, I’m fine seeing Ms. Hopper. She helped me a lot when I was younger…”

 

“She did help quite a lot.” Belle nods as she watches her daughter. “Maybe something different will be good for you, darling.”

 

“I don’t want new.” Evie admits.

 

“Okay, sweetheart,” Belle soothes, she can hear the rasp in Evie’s voice and she can’t bear to break her daughter anymore. “Whatever you want, okay? You know your father and I will do whatever you need.”

 

Evie smiles softly as she reaches a quivering hand out to her mother, “Mommy? Do you...do you remember my first night home?”

 

“I do.” Belle chuckles as she grapples for Evie’s dainty hand. “You cried for hours, you cried until your father and I let you sleep with us and you made me sing you to sleep.”

 

“Can you...will you sing me to sleep now?”

 

Belle squeezes Evie’s hand and stands to lead her towards the garden area; this is Evie’s favorite place to think, and Belle knows this is exactly where they need to be. A gentle smile crosses her face as she sits on the worn, comfortable couch and pulls Evie to sit beside her. Like they’ve done a thousand times before, Evie flutters her eyes closed as soon as she is resting in Belle’s lap and her mother immediately begins to run her fingers through dark hair.

 

“What are you feeling, darling?” Belle whispers.

 

Evie glances up at her, “Your and daddy’s song?”

 

“Whatever you want.” Belle hums with a loving smile on her face. “Tale as old as time, tune as old as song. Bittersweet and strange, finding you can change. Learning you were wrong. Certain as the sun, rising in the east. Tale as old time, song as old as rhyme. Beauty and the beast.”

 

As Evie falls asleep, Belle finally allows her tears to fall. She doesn’t know how many more times she’ll have to see her daughter fall apart before the world stops kicking her down. As she watches Evie sleep, she already feels the anxiety sinking in as she realizes her daughter will be returning to school soon; she isn’t sure if Evie will be able to handle it, but for now she is focused on allowing her child to gain some much needed rest.

 

-

 

The dorm is finally emptying and Evie suddenly feels like she can breathe. From the moment she arrived on campus, she has dealt with more media and more worried faces then she can handle. Everyone is so gentle with her, and she just wants them to stop. She wants it all to disappear, to go back to how things were before that day on the boat. But it won’t. Nothing will ever be the same, and Evie is slowly starting to realize that. Even Audrey, who has always pulled her from her pity parties, is treating her like she is near shattering.

 

“I never realized how annoying our friends are.” Mal scoffs as she closes the dorm door. “Sorry if you wanted them to stay, but they were all talking all at once and I wanted to choke them.”

 

“No, it’s okay. I was ready for them to go.” Evie whispers with a forced smile. “I think I just need some peace and quiet.”

 

Mal hums and climbs on the bed, “Mind if I stay?”

 

“I would be offended if you didn’t.” Evie replies as she offers her hand. “Do you mind if we talk about some stuff?”

 

“We can talk about whatever you want.” Mal assures her. “We can talk about the paint on the walls if it’ll make you happy.”

 

“No, that’s not it.” Evie murmurs.

 

Mal reaches out only for Evie to flinch back, “I’m sorry. I didn’t think. I’m sorry, babe. I promise I won’t do it again.”

 

Evie blinks and tries to catch up with herself; the tightening in her stomach loosens and the fear in her eyes slowly fades. As much as she loves Mal, loves all her friends, it’s going to be awhile before she feels comfortable with random touches. Just as her fear settles, another emotion replaces it and she looks up to scan Mal’s expression over.

 

“What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?” Evie asks while she glances down at her lap. “While you were on the Isle, I mean.”

 

Mal pauses, “That’s a loaded question.”

 

“I want to know.” Evie shrugs, and her eyes blaze as she lifts them to stare into Mal’s. “Did you do the same things Uma did? Did you torture people, hurt them? Did you...what did you _do_?”

 

“E,” Mal swallows hard, and Evie can see the storm brewing in her eyes. “Babe, you don’t want to know the answer to that question. I-I don’t want to tell you, I don’t want you to look at me different.”

 

Evie purses her lip, “Why were Uma, Gil, and Harry left on the Isle?”

 

“Our parents were fucked up, a few of them somehow managed to hide us. It was like the parents who pulled it off go the most respect, especially my mom and Ursula.” Mal shrugs. “My mom fooled them into thinking she killed me, and Ursula _literally_ almost killed Uma.”

 

“I know. Uma told me.” Evie whispers. “She also told me that you weren’t as perfect as I thought you were, that you’ve done horrible things.”

 

“Evie, you know I have. I’ve never tried to hide that from you.” Mal scoffs, and she sees the moment Evie hardens. “I just don’t want to go into detail about it, you’ve got enough on your plate.”

 

“I’m not going to shatter, Mal.”

 

“Evie,” Mal trails off and prinches the bridge of her nose. “Can you please just tell me what this is really about? You have told me again and again that my past doesn’t matter so why are you suddenly grilling me about it?”

 

“Because I want to know!”

 

“You’re acting like a child.” Mal sneers.

 

Evie clenches her jaw, “Go away.”

 

“Fine.” Mal scoffs as she pops up from the bed and moves to grab her backpack. “I don’t want to be around you when you’re like this. When you decide to tell me what’s going on, let me know.”

 

Evie watches her girlfriend and feels her heart plummet, she doesn’t want Mal to go. She _can’t_ watch her walk out, not now. Evie just feels so lost and alone, like she’s fighting through this darkness with no one at her side so she is desperate to pull in anyone she can. But Mal? Mal isn’t meant to be touched by the dark parts of herself, Mal is meant to be kept safe and locked away in the light.

 

“Mal?”

 

Mal stops with her hand on the door knob, “What?”

 

“Mal?” Evie repeats, and saddened green eyes snap to her a moment later. “Please don’t go. Please don’t leave me.”

 

“E,” Mal sighs as her head drops in defeat. “I’m not leaving you, not again. I just don’t want to upset you, I don’t want to…”

 

“I don’t need you to _protect_ me, I’m not a child. I can take care of myself.” Evie snarls, and she is quick to slap a hand over her mouth at the words. “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you.”

 

“It’s withdrawals.” Mal explains as she drops her backpack. “You’re having a withdrawal from the spell that Uma used on you.”

 

Evie shakes her head, “I’ve been fine.”

 

“You’ve also been away from me. You were spelled to forget me, Evie. To _hate_ me. Your body is trying to readjust.” Mal murmurs as she fidgets with the ring on her finger. “I should’ve talked to you about it, I just figured it’d be okay since…”

 

“True love’s kiss broke it.” Evie nods.

 

“Yeah. That.” Mal mumbles with a blush. “When a spell is broken from that, there’s usually no worries or consequences. I’ll talk to Fairy Godmother and see if there’s something she can do.”

 

“I don’t want to feel like this forever.” Evie sniffles, and Mal quickly moves towards her. “I don’t want you to leave me.”

 

“Hey.” Mal whispers as she squats down in front of Evie and rests her hands protectively on Evie’s thighs. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m here, babe. I understand that you just need time, and I’m not going to push that.”

 

“You’re too good to me.”

 

“Because I love you. You’re my princess.” Mal smirks as she squeezes Evie’s legs. “I’ll do whatever it takes to make you better.”

 

Evie bites her lips nervously, “Even if it means me pushing you away?”

 

“I’ll just pull you back in.” Mal shrugs.

 

“And when I shout at you?”

 

“I’ll give you space.”

 

“And when I’m crying?”

 

“I’ll give you a tissue.” Mal chuckles. “Princess, you could give me a million reasons to stay away but I’ll give you a million more as to why I won’t go.”

 

“I love you.” Evie whispers.

 

Mal smiles softly up at her, “I love you, too.”

 

-

 

“Evie! Princess Evie!”

 

“How are you doing? Have you healed yet?”

 

“Are you planning to return to the Isle?”

 

“Have you and Mal gotten back together yet?”

 

Evie swallows hard as a herd of flashing cameras and microphones push her closer and closer to the edge of the fountain. She’s trapped, there’s no escaping the questions and demands. As she opens her mouth to answer, all that comes out is a terrified squeak and it causes the uproar to grow in volume as they continue to move forward. Evie tries to calm her racing heart, tries not to think about the sweat that layers her brow, and swallows down the tension that tightens her body; she knows she’s on the borderline of a panic attack, and she’s going to have it right here in front of the media.

 

“Princess Evie, did you really love Uma?”

 

“Is it true it was just a spell or did you have actual feelings for her?”

 

“What about Mal?”

 

“I-I love Mal.” Evie whispers through dry lips.

 

“Yeah. She does. So, move it.” A voice orders, and Evie watches in awe as reporters stumble before purple locks appear in her view. “I’m sorry, babe. I tried to catch you before you left class.”

 

“Mal, have you truly forgiven Evie?”

 

“What happened to your spell book?”

 

“How could you forgive her for cheating on you?”

 

Mal slides a protective arm around her girlfriend as she turns, “I don’t know what kind of thing you jerks are playing at, but you need to leave my girlfriend alone. I won’t tell you again.”

 

“I want to leave.” Evie whispers as she turns her face into Mal’s shoulder. “Please make them go away, Mal. _Please._ ”

 

“Okay, E. I got it.” Mal nods, and Evie feels the shift in her girlfriend as her head turns. “You need to leave her alone, do you understand me? She’s not some type of show, you need to respect her boundaries and allow her to breathe. Next time I won’t be so nice about this, alright?”

 

“But…”

 

“I said _go_.”

 

Evie shivers at Mal’s tone, “Are they leaving?”

 

“They’re leaving.”

 

“They won’t leave me alone.” Evie murmurs as she nuzzles into Mal. “They keep asking me the same questions over and over.”

 

Mal presses a kiss to her head, “I’m sorry I wasn’t here to stop it. Carlos needed help with something and I just lost track of time.”

 

“You don’t have to drop everything to take care of me, Mal.” Evie frowns.

 

“Hey, it’s my turn to play your knight.” Mal teases, and she revels in Evie’s giggle. “Alright. You have potions, right? I’ll walk you.”

 

“You really don’t have to…”

 

“Well, it’s a good thing I want to.” Mal shrugs as she offers her arm to her girlfriend. “Now, let’s get going. I don’t m’lady being late for class. What would the school think of that?”

 

“Mm, they’d think I was off doing more important things.” Evie grins, and her hand curls in the crook of Mal’s elbow as she sighs. “I mean, I’m a lady of the court. I keep my brother awake during all of the important meetings.”

 

“Well, he certainly is lucky to have you. Not as lucky as _me_ , but he comes in a close second.” Mal replies with a smirk.

 

As they walk through the campus, Evie feels normal for the first time in weeks. It feels like old times, back before her wrist bore evidence to her trip to the Isle and back to where her nights weren’t plagued with darkness. With Mal at her side, she can almost pretend that she is blissfully unaware of the filth and horror back on the Isle. If she tries hard enough, she can feel the memories slowly melt away in favor of embracing Mal’s warmth.

 

“So, plans after class?” Mal asks.

 

Evie shrugs weakly, “Studying.”

 

“Would you like to come out to the forest with me? Jay and Carlos have been helping me with my flying. Jay even took a ride yesterday.” Mal beams, and Evie laughs softly at her excitement.

 

“I would love to come watch you,” Evie whispers, and the pair pause outside the crowded class. “No more rides for anyone else until I get a turn, alright? I don’t like the idea of other people riding my girlfriend. That’s my job.”

 

Green eyes flicker in want, “Oh?”

 

“Mind out of the gutter, baby.” Evie orders as she playfully pokes at Mal’s shoulder. “I’ll see you after? Meet you at your locker?”

 

“I’m probably gonna head out to the forest now, I have a free period but Jay will swing by and meet you here.” Mal replies.

 

Evie sighs happily as she leans into Mal, “Thank you for rescuing me from the paparazzi and walking me to class.”

 

“Anything to help my girl.” Mal murmurs as she presses a kiss to soft lips. “Off you go. Go be the smartest girl in there.”

 

“Okay.”

 

Mal nuzzles her softly, “Okay.”

 

Evie holds onto Mal’s hand up until their fingers are forced to part, and she glances over her shoulder to stare adoringly at the woman she loves. After a moment longer, Evie turns to walk into class and Mal waits a few minutes before she leaves for the forest. Both girls have pent up frustration and it seems to only simmer when they’re together so this is how they handle it; Evie disappears into herself and Mal disappears into the forest.

 

-

 

_“Two cookies or three?”_

 

_Evie furrows her brow as she thinks, “Four!”_

 

_“Okay.” Ben nods as he stuffs his hand into the cookie jar, and he quickly cradles his treats in his shirt as he looks to his sister. “Go make sure mama isn’t coming.”_

 

_Evie nods eagerly as she turns on her heel and runs towards the kitchen door to peek outside. Just as her tiny head pops out, a hand grapples at the back of her dress and Evie squeals as she begins to squirm in an attempt to free herself. As she struggles, the grip only tightens and she finds herself being carried back into the kitchen where Ben is watching with wide eyes. After a moment, his gaze narrows and he drops his shirt full of cookies and scoots his way off the counter._

 

_“Put my sister down!” Ben orders as he kicks at the shin of the random maid._

 

_“Ow! You little brat!” The woman squeaks as she kicks weakly at Ben. “I am so tired of cleaning up after the pair of you.”_

 

_Evie wiggles as she punches at the air in an attempt to hit the woman, “Don’t touch my brother!”_

 

_“What’s going on in here?”_

 

_“Mama! She won’t put Evie down!”_

 

_“And she tried to kick Ben!”_

 

_Belle blinks in shock as she looks to the maid who quickly sets Evie back on her feet, “Lucille, is that true?”_

 

_“They were stealing the sweets again…”_

 

_“That’s my sister, you’re not allowed to touch her. Mama and daddy says nobody is allowed to touch a princess.” Ben snaps as he folds his arms over his chest and regards the woman. “You are banished to the darkest of dungeons.”_

 

_“Benny,” Evie huffs as she elbows him. “Be nice.”_

 

_“Do as your sister said, dear.” Belle hums as she crosses the room to grab two cookies before she offers them to her son and daughter. “Now, run along and play.”_

 

_Evie frowns as she accepts her treat, “Don’t be too mean, Mommy.”_

 

_“I won’t, sweetheart.” Belle assures her._

 

_“Let’s go play in the gardens, Evie!” Ben exclaims as he grabs his sister’s hand and shoots Lucille one last frown. “You’re mean.”_

 

_With that, Ben tugs Evie along and away from the fear-filled maid, “Thank you for taking care of me, Ben.”_

 

_“Always!” Ben grins._

 

“Hey.”

 

Evie glances up from her book, “Hi.”

 

“What are you working on?”

 

“Sketches for Jane’s dress, she has a date with Chad coming up.” Evie replies, and she glances up in time to see a ripple of something flash through Ben’s eyes. “What are you doing here? I thought you’d be with the counsel today.”

 

“I uh have a meeting in fifteen.” Ben admits as he glances down at his watch. “But I saw you over here and I thought I’d come check in.”

 

“Check in?” Evie smirks. “Why?”

 

“Mom wanted to make sure that you were adjusting okay.” Ben shrugs. “And I wanted to as well. You went through something horrible, Evie. I just wanna make sure you’re good.”

 

“I’m fine.” Evie assures him. “Why are you worried?”

 

“I’m your big brother.” Ben whispers. “I’m supposed to watch out for you, to make sure you’re okay. I failed, Eves. I let you down.”

 

Evie shakes her head and reaches out to grab her brother’s hand, “It isn’t your fault, Ben. None of this is. You can’t keep me safe forever, we both always have to worry about risks.”

 

“You shouldn’t have ever been put at risk. You’re a lady and…”

 

“Ben, my being a lady has nothing to do with what happened.” Evie cuts in. “Uma had a plan, and she was going to carry through with it no matter what. I’m just so relieved it wasn’t you.”

 

“It should’ve been me.” Ben grumbles.

 

“I don’t think I want to talk about this anymore.” Evie frowns. “Do you know what time mom and dad expect us for tea?”

 

“Um, seven? Why?” Ben demands.

 

“Mal wants to test her wing span so we’re going to go out into the forest with Jay and Carlos.” Evie shrugs as she turns her attention to her papers. “It shouldn’t take too long.”

 

“I’ll have guards escort you.” Ben declares.

 

“I don’t need a guard.” Evie laughs.

 

“You may not need it, but I’d feel safer knowing you have one with you.” Ben replies, and Evie quickly pulls her hand from him. “Evie, I just want to protect you. You have to see that.”

 

“I do, and I’m _fine_. I’ll be fine.” Evie hisses.

 

Ben holds his hands up, “Just one guard then. At least someone. What if Mal can’t control herself and something happens?”

 

“She knows the fly off if she feels the control leave her.” Evie sighs. “She’s been working with Jay and Carlos, and Fairy Godmother brewed her a potion to help with the transformation pain.”

 

“That’s great. I’m happy she’s getting a handle on it. But my concern is you. You’ve been through a lot, and I know you’re working through it but you still have so much going on in your head and…”

 

“This is just going to take time, Ben.” Evie sighs as she stands to gather her things. “I can’t just blink and have it disappear, okay? And you having people follow me around won’t make me feel safe. Just give me time, Ben.”

 

“I-I didn’t mean…”

 

“I’ll see you later.”

 

Evie leaves, and Ben feels he somehow made everything worse.


	6. why oh why (can't you just fix me)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This story got away from me for awhile, and I am so sorry. This will be the last chapter for this particular fic, but it sets up for what's going on in the next one ;)

Evie wakes up in a cold sweat.

 

Her entire body itches and her temples throb with an ongoing headache. The dorm room is dark, and she can barely make out the shape of Audrey peacefully sleeping nearby. With a shudder of a breath, Evie slowly slides from her bed and tip toes her way into the bathroom to start a cold shower. She’s exhausted and her fingernails drag down the lengths of her thighs in an attempt to relieve the way something buzzes beneath her skin. It’s unnerving and she wants it to go away, she’ll do just about _anything_ for it to go away.

 

The water beats down on her as she climbs into the tub and curls into the corner. She doesn’t change out of her light nightgown, she simply allows the cold to chill her bones as she tries to come down from whatever high she is on. She figures it’s the magic, it has to be. Uma’s spell is the first taste of magic she’s had since the age of four, and now she wants nothing more than to drown in it. She _craves_ it. No matter how many pills she takes to curb her urges, she can’t escape this ache.

 

“Evie?”

 

Evie looks up with blue tinted lips, “A-Audrey?”

 

“What are you doing?” Audrey demands as she reaches out to turn off the shower. “It’s three in the morning, Evie. And your nightgown! Did you sleepwalk in here?”

 

“Y-Yeah.” Evie nods as she shivers. “Must have.”

 

“Here. Come here.” Audrey orders as she holds open a fluffy blue towel. “Let’s get you dried off and back into bed.”

 

“Okay.”

 

Evie feels her entire frame quivering as she allows Audrey to wrap her protectively in the material of the towel. She mindlessly follows her best friend and changes into a new set of pajamas before she climbs back into bed. Audrey doesn’t stray far, she takes her time cleaning up the puddles left in the bathroom and tosses Evie’s nightgown in the sink. Evie squeezes her eyes shut as she waits for the darkness to engulf her, but to her surprise Audrey simply climbs in bed beside her with a yawn.

 

“You hate sleeping with the light on…”

 

Audrey shrugs tiredly, “I can handle it for a few nights, just until we get a nightlight for the room or at least something to help you out.”

 

Evie swallows hard, “I’m fine.”

 

“Fine? Evie, you barely sleep.” Audrey scoffs. “You have to stop pretending to be fixed, it isn’t working. You have a lot to work through and no one is going to judge you for it. PTSD isn’t an overnight healing process, it takes time.”

 

“I feel like every day I just fall further and further into this darkness.” Evie admits. “I keep trying to force myself to feel better, but I can’t. Something’s wrong with me, Audrey. I can feel it.”

 

Audrey immediately shakes her head, “There’s nothing wrong with you, Evie. That feeling is just your head messing with you.”

 

“No, I don’t think…”

 

“You just need sleep.” Audrey cuts in as she lays her head on one of Evie’s pillows. “If you get a good night’s sleep, I promise things will be so much better in the morning.”

 

Evie doesn’t have the heart to tell her best friend how wrong she is. Sleeping won’t fix whatever has been poked awake inside of her; whatever it is sparks and she knows it’s only a matter of time before she’s engulfed in it.

 

-

 

Belle sighs as she listens to the many reasons Adam is ticking off as he paces the lounge area. She can feel her patience wearing thin as her husband continues an argument with himself while she struggles to chime in with her own opinions. It’s too much. She should’ve known this was a bad idea from the moment Adam requested they talked about this, she should’ve told him that there was nothing more she can do but trust Evie. But here she is, sitting quietly with her hands folded in her lap and a pinched expression on her face as she listens to Adam continue on and on.

 

“She needs to come home.”

 

“Adam, she made her decision…”

 

“She’s a _child,_ Belle. Our child. She doesn’t get to make decisions like this.” Adam snaps. “We almost lost our daughter, and now we’re just losing her to whatever is going on in her head.”

 

“The therapy is working.” Belle scowls. “She’s doing a lot better, and it’s good for her to be with all of her friends. Especially Mal.”

 

“Excuse me if I have difficulty accepting that my daughter is safe with the girl who caused all of this in the first place.” Adam growls. “I knew Mal wasn’t good for her, I knew this relationship was only going to end in heartache.”

 

Belle flashes him a glare, “That isn’t an appropriate accusation to pin on a child, Adam. Mal loves our daughter and she’s taken care of her, we can’t blame her for Evie’s anxiety.”

 

“I want her home with us.” Adam declares as he looks to his wife. “Immediately.”

 

Belle rubs tiredly at her temples, “Adam, have you discussed Evie moving back home with her? Is it something that she wants?”

 

Adam flushes, “I have.”

 

“And she doesn’t want to.” Belle scoffs. “She wants to be in school, she wants her life to be as normal as possible. And as her mother, that’s what I want for her as well. It’s what she deserves.”

 

“She’s struggling.” Adam grumbles.

 

“I think it’s _you_ who’s struggling.” Belle replies as she looks to her husband. “I know how hard it is for you to just...let go. Believe me, I understand. But this isn’t a battle we can win for her, it’s up to Evie. All we can do is help her along the way.”

 

“She’s always needed us.” Adam points out. “From the time she came home up until she got into a serious relationship with Mal. She always ran to us. How do I just accept that my little girl doesn’t need me anymore?”

 

“Oh, honey,” Belle sighs. “She still needs us, she always will. We’re her biggest cheerleaders and she always comes running straight to you when she’s scared. She’s always been a daddy’s girl.”

 

Adam smiles sadly, “When did our children grow up? When did Ben become too old to go on hikes with me? When did Evie decide that she was too cool to be my little date to dinner parties? I feel like I blinked and they grew like weeds.”

 

“It seems like yesterday they were arguing over who got to wave at the parades.” Belle whispers with a faraway expression. “And now...well, now they’re _planning_ the parades and they both get their own floats.”

 

“Do you remember how difficult she was when she first came home? How she didn’t want to be anywhere but beside her pretty.” Adam chuckles, and Belle preens at the familiar nickname. “She was perfect, our perfect little thing.”

 

_“You can’t stay awake all night.”_

 

_Belle rolls her eyes in return, “I can try.”_

 

_“She’s okay. She’s only down the hallway, and her guard will send for us if anything happens.” Adam assures her. “We’ve gotta allow her some time to grow comfortable.”_

 

_“It’s the first night she wants to sleep alone in her bed, Adam.” Belle points out. “She barely understood what a bed was when they first brought her to the clinic. We should’ve set up a space to stay with her.”_

 

_“She needs to learn her independence.” Adam frowns. “She’s going to be a princess, Belle. We have to raise her just as we raised Ben, if we treat her any differently then she’ll grow to believe that there’s something wrong with her.”_

 

_Belle sighs as her shoulders loosen, “You’re right.”_

 

_“I’m very seldomly wrong.” Adam smirks._

 

_Belle laughs softly as she leans down to press a kiss to Adam’s lips only to be interrupted by the firm knock on their bedroom door. All at once, Belle is sliding off the bed and hurrying across the room to pull the door open. In front of her, Evie stands with wet eyes and red cheeks as she clutches her silky blanket in her hand. She’s the picture of pure innocence, right down to the mused blue locks on her head and tiara decorated pajamas she wears._

 

_“My queen,” Cogsworth greets with a bow of his head. “I found Lady Evie wandering the hallways, she asked for her pretty...I’m going to assume that is you she speaks of.”_

 

_“Careful, Cogsworth,” Adam bellows with a playful lilt to his tone. “I do believe we’ve discussed that Belle just doesn’t feel anything for you.”_

 

_“Pretty?” Evie mumbles as she holds up her arms up._

 

_“Hello, pretty girl.” Belle whispers as she leans down to scoop Evie into her arms. “And what are you doing up this late, Evie?”_

 

_“Evelyn.” Adam corrects._

 

_Belle shakes her head, “We have to give her time to adjust before we attempt to have her answer to an entirely new name.”_

 

_“Sweep.” Evie yawns._

 

_“You’re free for the night, Cogsworth,” Belle smiles, and the man gives a bow. “I do believe our little princess is going to be staying with us for the night.”_

 

_“Shall I fetch young Benjamin?”_

 

_“No. Leave him to sleep.” Belle orders._

 

_Cogsworth gives one last bow before he closes the door behind him and leaves the family be. With a soft tickle against Evie’s stomach, the woman crosses the room to climb back onto their huge bed while Evie settles between them. Adam looks between the two and shakes his head; honestly, he never wanted a daughter. He didn’t think he was built to raise a little girl, but one look into Evie’s soft gaze reminds her that he is more than capable of raising her to be intelligent and strong._

 

_“Stay?” Evie whispers._

 

_“Of course you can, princess.” Adam smiles._

 

_Evie rubs at her eyes, “Sweep?”_

 

_“You can sleep, baby,” Belle nods as she runs a gentle touch through Evie’s hair. “We’ll be here when you wake up, okay?”_

 

_Evie simply curls into Belle, and the woman is gentle as she cradles her daughter with a tenderness that makes Adam’s heart ache. It hasn’t been easy, having Evie adjust to this new home, but they’re slowly learning. They’re taking it all in stride day by day. He’s just relieved her crying phase has gone, those were the hardest nights. But now? With how soft she looks in Belle’s arm, how gentle her lashes pillow on her cheeks, Adam would happily have a thousand more nights of tears so long as the end result is this._

 

_“Thank you.” Adam murmurs._

 

_Belle glances over Evie’s head, “Hm?”_

 

_“Thank you for believing that this would work, that we deserved a chance at this.” Adam shrugs. “I wasn’t sure if this was the life we could handle, but I can’t imagine not having our sweet girl.”_

 

_“She is sweet, isn’t she?” Belle grins._

 

_Adam watches closely as Belle eventually drifts off with Evie cradled in her arms, “My girls.”_

 

“And now…” Adam ducks his head as his eyes grow misty. “Now, I feel like my girl is a million miles away and I can’t save her.”

 

“She’ll get better, honey.” Belle soothes as she sits in his lap and presses a kiss to his forehead. “It just takes time, just like when she first came home. Our girl will get better, I promise.”

 

Adam curls his arms around Belle’s waist, “And until she does?”

 

“We love her through it.” Belle replies. “But we let her continue on with her own decisions, you wanted to raise her to be independent and that’s what she is. You should be proud.”

 

“I am. I very much am.” Adam nods. “I just worry.”

 

“That’s just our job, to worry.” Belle giggles. “But until then, all we can do is sit back and let her know we’re here when she needs us.”

 

“Easier said than done.”

 

-

 

“How do you feel today?”

 

Evie rolls her eyes at the question, “Fine.”

 

“Just fine?” Dr. Cricker asks with an arch of his thick eyebrow. “I thought we talked about you being more open with your feelings.”

 

“What do you want me to say?” Evie huffs. “If I say something concerning then you’re going to tell my parents that I’m not doing good, and if I don’t say anything at all then you’ll tell them I’m refusing to participate. So, either way I lose.”

 

Dr. Cricker stares at her before he scribbles something down on his notepad, “How is your sleep? Are you still having insomnia?”

 

“Yeah.” Evie nods.

 

“And your anxiety?”

 

“I pretty much spend every waking moment fearing that Uma is going to pop up and drag me back to the Isle.” Evie drawls as she shifts uncomfortably in her chair. “So, how do you think my anxiety is?”

 

“You don’t feel any improvements since your dosage was upgraded?” Dr. Cricker frowns, and Evie quickly shakes her head. “Well, maybe we should discuss trying a different medication.”

 

“I’m tired of pills.” Evie snaps. “I’ve been taking different medications since I was four. I’m sick of the doctors, the prescriptions, the fatigue. I just...I want to be normal.”

 

“What makes you say you aren’t normal…?”

 

“I’m the daughter of the Evil Queen, but also the princess of Auradon.” Evie sneers. “I have magic and evil running through every bit of me, and I’m on pills to keep said magic repressed.”

 

Dr. Cricker nods slowly, “When did you begin to take the represents?”

 

“I was four.” Evie whispers. “I-I rotted an apple…”

 

_“Mommy, more?” Ben asks._

 

_Belle smiles at her son, “Do you want the red apple, Ben? Or green? Or yellow?”_

 

_“More.” Ben repeats._

 

_“You have to say a color, son.” Adam chuckles as he shifts Evie in his lap. “Tell your mom green, yellow, or red. Which color?”_

 

_Ben pauses to think, “Gween!”_

 

_“Good job, buddy,” Adam praises as he offers the apple slice to his beaming son. “What about you, Evelyn? Do you want red, green, or yellow?”_

 

_“Wellow.” Evie chirps._

 

_“That’s my girl.” Belle grins, and Evie happily claps her hands as she is handed her treat. “They’re getting so smart, Adam. It’s amazing.”_

 

_Adam smoothes Evie’s hair back, “It is.”_

 

_In the palace gardens, the family snacks on different fruits and allow the children to dance throughout the endless rows of flowers. In her father’s lap, Evie munches happily on her apple and pouts as soon as her fruit is gone. With a grunt, the toddler opens her hands towards her mother who hands her a bright red apple slice. Immediately, the panic engulfs her as her mind flashes with something that plays out in her nightmares._

 

_“No!” Evie protests._

 

_Belle shakes her head, “Evelyn, lower your voice.”_

 

_“No want.” Evie whines._

 

_“Evelyn,” Adam begins. “Be kind.”_

 

_Evie holds her breath and glares down at the apple slice in her hand. An anger thrums beneath her skin, a dark part of her licking through her veins, and she clutches at the fruit until her hand burns. With a look of frustration, Evie unfolds her tiny fingers and her mother stands to quickly pull Ben away while Adam swats the fruit from her hand and lifts her protectively into his arms. On the red and white checkered picnic blanket, a black apple slice rots and melts into a sticky mess._

 

“And what happened after that?”

 

Evie blinks away the memory, “I...don’t entirely remember. They rushed us off to the hospital and then we met with Fairy Godmother. I started taking pills to lock in the magic.”

 

Dr. Cricker nods, “And what happened after  _that?_ ”

 

“We had the talk.” Evie scoffs. “And I found out just what my mother could do and what I could do if I were to go off the medicine. I was too young to get it, it was just a lot of words and all I wanted was to go play with Ben.”

 

“Do you feel like the pills are still working?”

 

“I don’t know.” Evie admits. “Sometimes I think they are, but then there’s the nights when my skin feels like it’s melting off and my blood literally _itches._  And I just…I want it to go away.”

 

“So,” Dr. Cricker hums. “You don’t want your magic?”

 

“I want…” Evie trails off with a frown. “I want to feel like I did before the Isle, before I became addicted to magic.”

 

“You think you have an addiction?” Dr. Cricker demands.

 

“I don’t think.” Evie hisses. “I know.”

 

“Evie,” Dr. Cricker sighs. “I think we should discuss the in-patient treatment that was offered to you a month ago. I feel as if you’d be more receptive to things if you were in a group setting.”

 

“I don’t want to go into the program.” Evie snaps, and she slowly curls her hands into fists. “I want to be with my friends. I want to expand my line with Audrey, gossip with Lonnie, cheer Jay on at his Tourney games, walk Dude with Carlos. I want...I want to be with Mal.”

 

Dr. Cricker pinches his lips into a thin line, “I think this could be beneficial to your recovery, Evie. It would give you a chance of less chaos, surround you with people who understand.”

 

“I don’t want to.” Evie growls.

 

Like a sudden shade being slid over her eyes, a darkness engulfs her and she squeezes her eyes shut to avoid it. She wants so badly to understand what is happening, to be able to explain the fear that bubbles in her stomach. With a gasp, Evie slowly opens her hand and flutters her eyes open to see the glowing orange ball of fire resting in her hand. It reminds her of the one Mal conjured up so long ago in the clinic, but this time her skin doesn’t blister and _she_ is the one who brings it to life.

 

“Evie…”

 

The doctor’s voice sounds like it’s underwater as she stares at the fire in her hand with an interest in her gaze. With a tenderness that is reserved only for Mal, she closes her hand and the fire disappears and licks its way back into the safety of her body. The air seems to thicken around her as she looks up into Dr. Cricker’s eyes and sees the judgment, the horror. But she doesn’t care, she just allows the twitch of a dangerous smirk to edge on her lips. But as soon as it comes, the high goes.

 

Evie blinks in horror, “Do you see what I mean?”

 

“I do.” Dr. Cricker murmurs, and Evie hears the slight tremble of fear in his voice. “I think we need to call your parents in.”

 

“No!” Evie exclaims as she lunges forward in her chair, her eyes ablaze. “Let me speak with Fairy Godmother, maybe she can help me.”

 

Dr. Cricker pauses to think before he reluctantly shakes his head, “One week. You have _one_ week to speak with Fairy Godmother.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

Evie swallows hard, she can’t help but think that is royally fucked.

 

-

 

Evie giggles as her hair is tousled by the rush of wind as a dragon lands safely a few feet away from her. With a tilt of her head, Evie approaches the beast and softly drags her hand along the soft, purple scales on Mal’s jaw. Mal looks so peaceful as her eyes flutter shut and she gives a puff of a breath while nuzzling into Evie’s touch. The forest has become their safe haven, their place to allow their worries to melt away. Out here, far from the hassle of their current lives, they don’t have to pretend to be something their not.

 

“How was your flight, baby?” Evie whispers.

 

Mal gives a huff of delight and Evie leans forward to press a kiss to her nose. As she draws away, a twig snaps in the distance and Evie is knocked breathless as a strong wing drapes itself over her and draws her back. Beneath Mal’s wing, all Evie can see is the outline of the trees above and it’s almost serene. It’s almost _nice_. But the threat on the other side of the wing keeps her from admiring for too long, instead she snuggles back into Mal’s side and waits for her defenses to either rise or slowly fall. And thankfully, after a full minute, the latter happens and her wing shrinks away.

 

“Boys!” Evie greets.

 

Carlos gives a lopsided smile, “Interesting guard dog you got there, Evie.”

 

Mal huffs and whips out her wing to quickly wipe Carlos off balance so he crashes to the forest floor. With a giggle, Evie gives Mal a soft pat before her girlfriend disappears into a mist of purple and appears behind her with a smudge of dirt on her cheek and a bright smile. Immediately, Evie feels her heart swell as she presses a lingering kiss to Mal’s forehead before she focuses on clearing away the dirt from Mal’s face, much to her displeasure.

 

“Mal, that hurt.” Carlos whines.

 

“You’ll be okay, babe.” Jay chuckles as he helps his boyfriend to his feet. “Mal, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t sweep Carlos off his feet again...that’s kind of _my_ job.”

 

“I make no promises.” Mal grumbles as she struggles to turn her head due to Evie’s grip on her chin. “E, I’ll take a shower once I get back to the dorms. I swear.”

 

“Let me see if I have any wet wipes in my purse, I just want to get that one smudge.” Evie sighs as she runs her gaze over Mal’s face. “That is if you’re done flying for the day.”

 

Mal nods slowly, “Yeah. I’m good. I kinda hit a tree and I _might_ have accidentally clipped the roof of Doug’s house.”

 

“Mal!” Evie laughs.

 

“It was an accident.” Mal shrugs.

 

Evie rolls her eyes, “I’ll be right back.”

 

Mal watches Evie wander off to her purse with appreciation in her gaze; she doesn’t think she’ll ever be able to grasp just how in love with Evie she is. With a sigh, Mal bites back a smile as Carlos approaches Evie with a bloody elbow and her girlfriend immediately goes into panic mode as she digs for a bandage. As Evie plays doctor, Mal rolls her shoulders and pops her neck as she tries to find a way to relax back into her human form; as fun as flying is, it definitely takes a toll on her body.

 

“Hey.” Jay whispers.

 

Mal looks at him with a nod, “What’s up?”

 

“Can we um...can we talk?” Jay murmurs, and Mal arches an eyebrow for him to continue. “I wanted to talk to you about what happened that night, about how I um how I saved Carlos.”

 

“It’s been weeks, Jay.” Mal sneers. “Why now?”

 

“I needed time to work out what I wanted to say. And I’ve been making my way down the list.” Jay explains with a wince. “I spoke to Ben yesterday, and I thought I’d save the scariest for last.”

 

“I…I don’t think we should have this conversation, Jay.” Mal warns with a small cringe. “I know you feel guilty about not helping Evie, but coming to me isn’t going to help you.”

 

“I just...I want to _apologize_ …”

 

“Jay.” Mal cuts in, and her eyes flash warningly as she looks to him. “I’m still working on controlling my outbursts and this conversation is _not_ helping. If you’re looking for someone to comfort you, you’re looking at the wrong person.”

 

“So, you do blame me?” Jay mumbles.

 

“I blame a lot of people, but mostly I blame myself. I blame myself for running, for making Evie chase me down, for provoking Uma, for opening a door that no one can close now.” Mal scoffs. “And yeah, I do blame you for leaving her but you _saved_ Carlos and that’s enough.”

 

“I…”

 

“Baby, did you drink your water?” Evie demands as she approaches Mal with her bottle. “I don’t want you getting dehydrated, this is the most physical activity I’ve seen from you since we met.”

 

Mal takes the bottle with a smirk, “We have plenty of physical activity.”

 

“ _Mal_!” Evie squeals as she shoves her laughing girlfriend’s shoulder. “Keep that kind of stuff to yourself, no one wants to hear it.”

 

“Aw, babe,” Mal laughs as she presses a gentle kiss to Evie’s red tinted cheek. “You’re too cute when you blush, Eves.”

 

“You are so lucky I love you, Mal Bertha.” Evie huffs as she turns her head to glare.

 

“Yeah. Yeah, I really am.” Mal hums.

 

Evie can’t resist the urge to press a gentle, loving kiss to Mal’s lips as she savors the butterflies that erupt in her stomach. Like every time before, Mal melts into Evie as her hand gently cradles her girlfriend’s face and allows her lips to say everything her mouth won’t: _I love you, I need you, I miss you when you’re gone, you’re my everything, I didn’t know love until I had this._ It’s all said and all heard, and Evie whimpers softly against Mal’s mouth as her hands curl around her elbows to whisper back: _I’m so lucky you’re mine, I want you forever, life didn’t make sense until you came along, I like me better when I’m with you, I adore you._

 

Mal is breathless as she pulls away and sees a sparkle in Evie’s eyes that had been missing for a while. It makes her heart thrum evenly in her chest and she suddenly feels like she’s soaring. With a hum, Mal presses one last kiss to Evie’s lips before they’re reminded of the fact that they’re unfortunately not alone. A sigh of disappointment leaves Evie as she pulls away from Mal and instead presses herself against her until a protective arm wraps around her waist.

 

“What were you two talking about?” Evie asks as she twists a strand of Mal’s hair around the tip of her finger.

 

Jay flushes, “I was apologizing for…”

 

“Hey, I’m starving.” Mal jumps in with a small frown on her face. “I know I shoved some carrot sticks in your purse...can you grab them for me?”

 

Evie nods, “Of course, baby.”

 

“You’re the best.” Mal beams, and Evie slips away just as her girlfriend’s smile falls. “Don’t do that, don’t drag her into this.”

 

“I wasn’t…”

 

“It may not have been intentional, but Evie doesn’t need your guilt stacked onto her already full plate. She has way too much going on.” Mal snaps. “So, cut the dramatics and say whatever it is you need to say to me.”

 

Jay blinks at her slowly, “Fuck. You really love her, don’t you?”

 

“She’s my world.” Mal sighs. “I fully intend to marry her one day, have a fucking amazing life with her. I almost lost her that night and I was pissed when I found out what happened in the water, but I can’t change it. I wish I could, but I can’t.”

 

Jay drops his head, “I’m sorry.”

 

“Dude, you can apologize till your breathless but it won’t change anything.” Mal warns. “You don’t need _my_ forgiveness. You don’t even need Evie’s. The only person you need forgiveness from is yourself, Jay. And the only way you’re going to get that is if you let this go.”

 

“I’m trying. I really am.” Jay grumbles.

 

“Then maybe you should consider seeing Dr. Cricker, he’s helped Evie.” Mal suggests. “I mean, he says things that piss her off but she said he’s helped. Give it a shot.”

 

“I don’t need to see a shrink.” Jay snaps.

 

Mal flashes her eyes his way, “Got a problem with that?”

 

“Put away your claws, I’m not judging Evie for going. I’m proud of her. I just don’t think _I_ should go, I think I just need to work this out on my own.” Jay says with a harsh breath. “I guess you’re right, this is something only I can fix.”

 

“It pains me to think you ever doubted my amazing wisdom. I’m brilliant.” Mal chirps. “Just ask Carlos, I got us out of _a lot_ of shit on the Isle. He may be the brains, but I can manipulate the best of them.”

 

“Jay, we need to go!” Carlos calls.

 

Jay whines, “Do we have to?”

 

“We promised Jane.” Carlos reminds him with a stern frown. “I know you don’t want to, but we won’t stay long. Just an hour or two.”

 

“That’s _so_ long.” Jay mumbles under his breath.

 

“Hey, I didn’t see any carrot sticks.” Evie whines as she approaches Mal who immediately offers her hand to her girlfriend. “Are you sure you didn’t accidentally leave them at the table?”

 

“Probably.” Mal shrugs.

 

The couples begin their trek out of the depths of the forest and Evie silently ponders her thoughts. She knows there’s something wrong with her, something she needs to fix. But does she want to? This feeling, although scary and occasionally painful, gives her a high she hasn’t felt in a _long_ time. Yet she feels guilty, this isn’t what her parents have planned for her; Evie is supposed to be their perfect princess, the perfect example of what happens to someone who is saved from the Isle.

 

“You coming with us to study at Jane’s?” Carlos asks over his shoulder.

 

“I’ll have to meet you guys there.” Evie shrugs.

 

Mal tilts her head slowly, “Are we going to be late?”

 

“ _I_ am, but you’re more than welcome to head over to Jane’s dorm without me.” Evie assures her, and her heart swells as Mal pouts in protest. “I won’t be long, just have an errand to run.”

 

“Take me with you.” Mal orders.

 

Evie rolls her eyes, “Mal…”

 

“Nope. I’m going too.” Mal declares as she tightens her grasp on Evie’s hand. “You’ll have to saw off my hand because I’m not letting go.”

 

“Jay.” Evie sighs. “If you would so kindly take care of my beloved.”

 

“Consider it done.” Jay chirps.

 

Evie giggles as Mal is suddenly pulled into the air and settles on Jay’s shoulder with a screech of disapproval. A small smile curves on her lips as she wiggles her fingers in a wave of departure while Mal continues to kick and curse in an attempt to free herself. As soon as they turn the corner to disappear, Evie twists quickly on her heels and crosses the campus with one mission in mind: finding Fairy Godmother.

 

-

 

Evie paces through the hallway as she feels the buzz growing beneath her skin. She’s terrified, she doesn’t know what’s happening to her. No matter how much she tries, she can’t coil the energy inside of her. After one last lap through the hallway, Evie knocks softly on the door and waits for the bell like voice to invite her in. The room goes cold as she steps inside and Fairy Godmother watches her with soft, adoring eyes; the same eyes that watched her become the young woman she is today.

 

Evie ducks her head, “Is this a bad time?”

 

“For you? There’s never a bad time.” Fairy Godmother assures her as she waves towards a chair, but Evie declines with a frown. “What can I help you with, dear?”

 

“I’m not getting better. Something’s wrong. I think...I think whatever happened on the Isle opened a door for me.” Evie whispers, the fear evident in her soft voice. “I think my magic is back.”

 

Fairy Godmother’s smile falls, “Oh dear.”


End file.
